Antony and

Cleopatra
Study Guide by Course Hero

Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra previews the fate of this love

What's Inside affair.

j Book Basics ................................................................................................. 1

d In Context ..................................................................................................... 1
d In Context
a Author Biography ..................................................................................... 2

h Characters .................................................................................................. 3 Shakespeare's Audience

k Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 8 William Shakespeare wrote Antony and Cleopatra for an
audience that was broadly familiar with the story of the two
c Scene Summaries .................................................................................. 14 lovers. A classical education was fundamental in
Shakespeare's era; Latin and Greek studies took primacy over
g Quotes ........................................................................................................ 42
other subjects. Even grammar-school students were expected
l Symbols ..................................................................................................... 45 to learn Latin and sometimes Greek. Many courses at 16th-
and 17th-century European universities were conducted
m Themes ...................................................................................................... 46 entirely in Latin; although Shakespeare did not attend
university, much of his grammar-school education would also
m Motifs .......................................................................................................... 49
have been conducted in Latin. Because classical education

e Suggested Reading ............................................................................. 50 emphasized Greek and Roman history and literature, students
were steeped not only in classical history but also in Greek and
Roman mythology. This is not to say every English schoolboy
had an extensive grounding in the classics; most British boys

j Book Basics of the period received little if any education. But classical
subjects permeated 16th-century culture in the same way
familiar fairy tales, for example, permeate contemporary
AUTHOR
culture.
William Shakespeare

YEARS WRITTEN
1606–07 Plutarch's Lives
GENRE In a 1623 poetic tribute to Shakespeare, the poet Ben Jonson
History, Tragedy wrote that the playwright knew "small Latin and less Greek."
Fortunately Shakespeare did not need to draw on either
ABOUT THE TITLE
language to write his dramas about ancient Rome. In 1579 Sir
When Antony, one of ancient Rome's three rulers, and
Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's The Lives of the Noble
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, fall in love, their decade-long affair
Grecians and Romans was published. The Lives is one of the
changes the course of Western history. The extended title The
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide Author Biography 2

most important books in Western literature. In it Plutarch (c. 46 Antony left the battle to follow her. The next year after Caesar
CE–c. 120 CE) wrote 50 biographies of famous people in won a final naval battle at Alexandria, both Antony and
classical history. Shakespeare relied heavily on four of these Cleopatra died by their own hands. In 29 BCE Caesar returned
biographies when he wrote Julius Caesar, Antony and to Rome and was crowned as Augustus Caesar by the Roman
Cleopatra, Coriolanus, and Timon of Athens. He surely drew on Senate in 27 BCE.
Plutarch's characterization of Cleopatra: "Cleopatra oftentimes
unarmed Antonius, and intised [sic] him to her, making him lose
matters of great importance." This idea—that love for Antony and Cleopatra and
Cleopatra led Antony to neglect his military and state
duties—became an influential one in the literature of the period. Middle Age
Shakespeare was not the only playwright to read Plutarch nor
Shakespeare wrote Antony and Cleopatra in 1606 or 1607—five
the only writer of his day to be fascinated by Antony and
years after Hamlet, about two years after Othello, and during
Cleopatra. In 1578 the Countess of Pembroke translated the
the same period in which he wrote King Lear and Macbeth.
French play Marc Antoine into English. Her translation was
Considered his greatest tragedies, these five works address
renamed Antonius and published in 1592. This version was
challenges people face as they age. Shakespeare was in his
meant not for professional performers but as a "closet drama"
early 40s around then, so it may not be surprising that Antony
to be read rather than performed onstage. A second closet
and Cleopatra treats the subject of midlife crisis. Both main
drama, The Tragedy of Cleopatra, was published in 1594 and
characters cling to a vision of the fame and power they
went through several editions.
enjoyed in earlier days. The scenes in which they realize their
former glory is gone forever are among the strongest in the
play; that both arrive at a measure of mature acceptance
The Story of Cleopatra and before dying gives the ending a redemptive quality that is
uncommon in tragedies.
Mark Antony
Cleopatra ascended to the throne of Egypt in 51 BCE and
formed an alliance, both personal and political, with Julius
Publication History
Caesar, the Roman emperor, with whom she had a son,
Antony and Cleopatra was entered into the Stationers'
Caesarion. About three years after Caesar's assassination in
Register, an early form of copyright, in 1608, but there is no
44 BCE, she met and began a passionate affair with Mark
record that the play was staged during Shakespeare's lifetime.
Antony, one of the three new rulers of Rome, the others being
This does not mean it went unperformed; rather, records from
Octavius Caesar (Julius's nephew and heir) and Lepidus.
the time are sometimes incomplete or absent and trying to
Antony and Cleopatra had three children during their years
piece together a play's history frequently requires some
together, a number of which were spent apart. However, when
inference. The Folio edition of the play was published in 1623,
Antony did remain in Egypt for long periods of time, he
after Shakespeare's death. Shakespeare's expensive and
neglected his duties and lived extravagantly, focusing his
esteemed folios were large books produced by folding sheets
attentions on Cleopatra. Tensions continued to build among
of paper in half to produce four printed pages. In 1677 John
the three co-rulers of Rome, even though Antony, recently
Dryden's version of the story—a conscious Shakespeare
widowed, married Caesar's sister Octavia in 40 BCE. In 32
imitation called All for Love—was performed by the King's
BCE Antony divorced Octavia.
Company in London. Dryden's play is set entirely in Alexandria

In 34 BCE Cleopatra was deified together with Antony in and deals primarily with material from Act 5 of Antony and

Alexandria, and their children were made heirs, thus defying Cleopatra. As 19th-century author Sir Walter Scott wrote

Roman law. The next year preparations began for a war approvingly, Dryden left out "whatever in the original story is

between Caesar and Antony for supremacy. Caesar's forces shocking and repulsive." It was not until the 20th century that

defeated Antony and Cleopatra's at Actium in 31 BCE; relatively authentic versions were produced.

famously, Cleopatra's ships suddenly turned and fled, and

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Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
a Author Biography
Childhood and Family Life
Very little is known about William Shakespeare's birth,
education, or upbringing, and most of what scholars have
gathered about his early life is extrapolated from local records.
According to church records, he was baptized on April 26,
1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, which leads scholars to
the conclusion that he was born on April 23 of that year. Birth
records were not usually kept in Shakespeare's time, although
church records—baptisms, weddings, burials—were kept
fastidiously by clergy.
Shakespeare's family was relatively prominent in its small
community. His father was a glover and dealer in animal hides
who held a series of public offices, including alderman, chief
magistrate, and eventually high bailiff (the equivalent of a
present-day mayor). Scholars have speculated that
Shakespeare's father may eventually have fallen on hard times,
perhaps because of trading failures or controversial Catholic
sympathies, but this is not known for sure. Shakespeare's
mother, Mary Arden, was the daughter of a distinguished family
with some aristocratic connections. Shakespeare would most
likely have had a typical education at the local grammar school,
where education would have focused on the Latin language
and authors. At age 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway,
a woman eight years his elder who was already pregnant with
their daughter Susanna. Anne gave birth to twins—Judith and
Hamnet—a few years later. Church records reveal Hamnet died
in childhood.
Theatrical Life
Shakespeare moved to London to pursue a career as an actor
and playwright, and over time, he achieved success. He
became a shareholder in the open-air Globe Theatre in London
and had widespread popularity as a playwright whose works
included romantic and classically inspired comedies, histories,
and tragedies. At the time, plays were considered a lower
literary form than poetry, and Shakespeare's interest in the
theater seems to have been largely commercial. He invested
more in his poetry, which was published with flattering
dedications to patrons and other front matter. By contrast, the
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Characters 3
plays published during his lifetime are printed in careless,
error-filled quartos, with no sign that Shakespeare was
involved in their production. He is credited with writing at least
37 plays, two narrative poems, and over 150 sonnets. He was
financially successful enough to buy the most impressive
house in Stratford-upon-Avon and to help his father purchase
a coat of arms, making him legally a gentleman.
Throughout his career Shakespeare and his fellow actors were
supported by the nation's royalty and nobility; during the reign
of Elizabeth I (1533–1603), the Lord Chamberlain was the
patron for Shakespeare's company, called The Lord
Chamberlain's Men. When James I (1566–1625) assumed the
throne in 1603, the company came under his patronage and
was renamed The King's Men. Although many of
Shakespeare's plays were written for performance at the
Globe, the King's Men also performed at the nearby Blackfriars
Theater, a smaller indoor space, after 1608.
Retirement and Legacy
In 1610 or 1611 Shakespeare retired, moving back to Stratford-
upon-Avon. Despite his retirement from London life, the
playwright continued to do some writing, contributing to Henry
VIII and Two Noble Kinsmen as well as to another play,
Cardenio, now lost. Scholars believe these final works to be
collaborations with John Fletcher (1579–1625), another
playwright.
Shakespeare most likely died on April 23, 1616, leading to the
romantic notion he was born and died on the same date,
although there are no records of the exact date of either event.
He was 52 at his death and was buried on April 25 at Holy
Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon. Over 400 years after
his death, Shakespeare is still regarded as the greatest
playwright of the English-speaking world.
h Characters
Antony
Generous, likeable, and warm-hearted, Antony is one of the
Roman Empire's three triumvirs. When the play begins, he has
been living with Cleopatra and has fathered three children with
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
her. He is a celebrated soldier who has somewhat outlived his
reputation; during his time in Egypt he has been living what the
Romans consider a degenerate life. His love for Cleopatra
outweighs his Roman sense of duty, and he is well aware of
avoiding his responsibilities as a triumvir. Indeed his love for
Cleopatra is the driving force in his life. Considerably older
than Caesar, Antony is touchy when he senses the younger
man is trying to dominate him. His insistence on taking a dare
of Caesar's—or what he perceives as a dare—leads him to
make a catastrophic decision at the Battle of Actium, for he is
dangerously impetuous and quick to make judgments. When he
realizes how far he has fallen, he is a beaten man.
Cleopatra
Cleopatra's highly charged sexuality and unpredictability are
constants in her character; a deep-seated insecurity about
Antony's love—he is married to someone else—underlies her
every action with him. She is a woman with a past, having been
mistress to both Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great, and she
views her sexuality as one of her main political assets. She
loves Antony but can't resist teasing him, especially about his
Roman connections. Some of the teasing comes from her
insatiable need to control him; that she cannot do so makes
her even more insecure. But she is also an intelligent, effective
ruler, and she is capable of being treacherous, even to Antony.
Cleopatra's egotism and her need to upstage others (including
Antony) can make her seem exasperating. She is quick to
anger and tends to blame any bearer of bad news. But she's
infinitely charming and has a good sense of humor. The
adoration and devotion of her ladies-in-waiting are signs of her
charm. When it becomes clear suicide is the only way to avoid
the humiliation of being Caesar's captive, Cleopatra meets
death with composure and shows herself resourceful in
managing to kill herself while under Caesar's guard, whose
purpose is to prevent her suicide.
Caesar
Octavius Caesar is an exemplar of Roman virtue—brave, stoic,
temperate, correct—and he knows it. He finds Antony's
defection from Rome intolerable, partly because he thinks
Antony is avoiding his responsibilities and partly because
Cleopatra disgusts him. He hates that she had an affair with his
uncle, but he hates even more that she has taken Antony away
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Characters 4
from him. When Antony abandons Octavia, Caesar goes into a
rage. Caesar is a rather dour sort. He disapproves of bodily
appetites and stays sober when all his friends are drinking. He
cannot understand people who don't put the Roman Empire
above everything else. He is so competent he ends up doing
more than his share of running the Roman Empire (which
makes him even angrier at Antony). Not surprisingly, his battle
plans are far more thorough and detailed than Antony's; not
surprisingly, he is merciless in victory. But the deaths of Antony
and Cleopatra soften him somewhat, and the play ends with a
hint he may become more tolerant and less one-dimensional as
he grows older.
Pompey
Pompey's driving characteristic is the desire to avenge his
father, killed by Julius Caesar. Pompey is confident of victory
and certain he is loved by the populace. The triumvirs view him
as enough of a threat to sign a peace treaty with him,
whereupon he cheerfully invites them to a banquet aboard his
ship. Pompey's sense of honor is hard to discern. He believes
his cause is just and wants to help the Roman people. But
when Menas asks for permission to kill the triumvirate during
the banquet, Pompey regretfully turns him down, saying If
Menas had killed the three men without telling him, Pompey
wouldn't have minded; that Menas raised the question makes
the assassination of his guests impossible. Pompey seems
more concerned with the appearance of honor than with the
substance of it.
Lepidus
Lepidus is something of a laughing stock to almost everyone
who knows him, certainly not someone to be feared or even
taken seriously. Even servants mock him, and Caesar shows
him little respect. Lepidus's function in the triumvirate seems to
be to placate Caesar and Antony. He praises their suggestions
but has no ideas of his own. Lepidus's only memorable act
occurs when he gets impossibly drunk at Pompey's banquet
and has to be carried away. Soon after that, Caesar comes up
with a reason to boot him from the triumvirate.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide Characters 5

Enobarbus
Enobarbus has a great deal of integrity and the courage to
speak his mind even to Cleopatra. He is perceptive about
Antony and understands the strength of his attachment to
Cleopatra. He feels comfortable enough around Antony to
snap at him once or twice. Intensely loyal, he remains with
Antony when other followers have deserted him. When
Antony's behavior finally forces even Enobarbus to desert, he
regrets his decision so much that he dies of grief.

Octavia
Octavia's demeanor is too reserved to give a good sense of
her personality. She's a woman of virtue and is obedient to her
brother, which is how she ends up marrying Antony. Though
she can't see much in her new husband, she is a dutiful wife, as
Roman ideals require, and she feels torn between him and her
brother. She is so troubled by divided loyalties she travels to
Rome to intercede for Antony where she learns he has
returned to Cleopatra. After a few decorous words of grief, she
disappears from the play.

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Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide Characters 6

Character Map

Cleopatra
Seductive, powerful,
Lady-in- extravagant Queen of
waiting Egypt; joins in battles

Charmian Octavia
Loyal, fun-loving lady-in- Obedient, virtuous widow;
waiting; commits suicide married off to Antony to
with Cleopatra Lovers keep peace

Spouses
Siblings

Antony
Passionate, neglectful
Co-rulers co-ruler of Roman
Empire; wars with Caesar
Lepidus Caesar
Weak, ineffectual co-ruler Co-rulers,
Stoic, temperate co-ruler
of Roman Empire; then enemies
of Roman Empire;
expelled by Caesar declares war on Egypt

Opponents
Aide-de-camp

Opponents

Pompey Enobarbus
Popular Roman statesman; Loyal, frank, perceptive
leads rebellion against aide-de-camp; dies
triumvirate after deserting Antony

Opponents

Main Character

Other Major Character

Minor Character

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Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Full Character List
Character Description
One of the three co-​rulers of the Roman
Empire, the passionate and neglectful
Antony
Mark Antony, or Marcus Antonius, lives
in Egypt with Cleopatra.
Powerful, politically savvy, seductive,
and prone to excessive drama,
Cleopatra
Cleopatra is Queen of Egypt, where she
lives with Mark Antony.
The adopted nephew of Julius Caesar,
Octavius Caesar is one of the three co-
Caesar
rulers of the Roman Empire. He lives in
Rome.
Son of the general who ruled with Julius
Caesar, Pompey leads a revolt against
Pompey
the three co-​rulers of the Roman
Empire.
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus is the weakest
Lepidus of the three co-​rulers of the Roman
Empire.
Courageous and loyal, Enobarbus is
Enobarbus
Antony's aide-​de-​camp and good friend.
Octavia is Caesar's widowed 30-​year-
Octavia old sister whom Caesar marries off to
Antony in a peacekeeping attempt.
An adviser to Caesar, Agrippa suggests
Agrippa
Antony and Octavia should marry.
Alexas is a servant of Cleopatra's;
Alexas Caesar orders him hanged even though
Alexas has done him a good turn.
An unnamed boy sings at Pompey's
Boy
banquet.
Canidius is a lieutenant-​general who
Canidius
serves Antony.
An unnamed Captain reports to Antony
Captain
about the weather.
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Characters 7
Charmian
Fond of bawdy jokes, Charmian is
Cleopatra's main lady-​in-​waiting.
The countryman brings Cleopatra the
Countryman basket of venomous snakes she uses to
commit suicide.
Demetrius is a Roman and a newcomer
Demetrius
to Egypt.
One of Antony's guards, Dercetus
Dercetus brings Antony's sword to Caesar with
the hope of gaining favor.
Part of Cleopatra's retinue, Diomedes is
Diomedes sent to bring Antony the message
Cleopatra is alive.
Dolabella is a member of Caesar's
Dollabella
council of war.
One of Cleopatra's servants, the
Egyptian man is sent to ask Caesar how
Egyptian man
Cleopatra should prepare herself for
captivity.
Eros is an attendant who serves Antony
Eros
and refuses to kill him.
Antony's deceased wife, Fulvia and
Antony's brother plotted unsuccessfully
against Caesar, in Antony's name,
Fulvia
causing Caesar to mistrust Antony, who
was not involved. Fulvia never appears
in the play.
A member of Caesar's council of war,
Gallus Gallus is sent to guard Cleopatra after
Antony dies.
Various guardsmen appear in battle
Guardsmen
scenes.
Iras is Cleopatra's second lady-​in-
Iras
waiting.
Maecenas Maecenus is in Caesar's retinue.
Mardian is a eunuch in Cleopatra's
Mardian
retinue.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Menacrates
Menacrates is a pirate who joins forces
with Pompey.
A pirate who joins forces with Pompey,
Menas Menas asks permission to kill the
members of the triumvirate.
Unnamed messengers travel back and
Messengers
forth throughout the play.
Philo, a soldier of Antony's, is the first
Philo
speaker in the play.
Proculeius serves in Caesar's retinue;
Proculeius Antony mistakenly believes he is
trustworthy.
Scarus is a commander in Antony's
Scarus
army.
The schoolmaster to Antony's children
Schoolmaster
is sent as an ambassador to Caesar.
Cleopatra's treasurer, Seleucus betrays
Seleucus her to Caesar by revealing the extent of
her wealth.
Unnamed servants are featured in most
Servants
scenes of the play.
A soldier in Antony's land army, Silius
Silius
fights under Ventidius.
The soothsayer serves at Cleopatra's
Soothsayer court but travels to Rome with Antony.
He warns Antony to leave Rome.
Taurus Taurus is one of Caesar's lieutenants.
Thidias is one of Caesar's servants and
Thidias the messenger who kisses Cleopatra's
hand.
Varrius Varrius is in Caesar's retinue.
One of Antony's generals, Ventidius
Ventidius wins a major battle against the
Parthians.
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Plot Summary 8
k Plot Summary
Act 1
The play begins by showing the relationship of Antony and
Cleopatra in Alexandria, Egypt. Antony is one of the three
rulers of the Roman Empire; Cleopatra is Queen of Egypt.
Antony has been neglecting important duties in Rome and his
rule of one third of the Empire to remain with Cleopatra in a
longstanding passionate and extravagant affair that provokes
questions and criticism from his counterparts.
Antony and Cleopatra devote their time and energy to
indulging themselves, but such indulgence and negligence can
continue for only so long. When enemies threaten the rulers of
the Empire in Rome, and his wife dies unexpectedly, Antony
must force himself to break away from Cleopatra to attend to
the situations at home. Together with his aide-de-camp,
Enobarbus, Antony leaves an unhappy Cleopatra in Egypt and
departs for Rome, where the other two triumvirs, Octavius
Caesar and Lepidus, are increasingly impatient and critical of
Antony, once Rome's greatest general. Their common enemy,
Pompey, who controls the sea, is now threatening war.
Left in Alexandria, Cleopatra misses Antony deeply and
remembers her previous affair with Julius Caesar in her "salad
days" when she was young and had not developed the depth
of passion she now feels for Antony.
Act 2
Antony meets with his co-rulers in Rome. Caesar is distant, for
Antony's brother was causing troubles for Caesar by leading
an insurrection against him. However, the immediate threat is
from Pompey, and the triumvirs believe an alliance is
necessary. Antony tries to readjust to his political role and
responsibilities and agrees to marry Caesar's widowed sister
Octavia to improve relations between the two men. Such a
marriage should help ease the tensions and ally the families.
Enobarbus, however, is less hopeful about the union, knowing
Antony will find it difficult, at best, to resist Cleopatra's allure. In
a famous speech, Enobarbus describes the lovers' first
meeting, as the glorious Cleopatra, aboard the golden-hued
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
royal barge with its silken sails and silver oars, sailed down the
Nile and captured Antony's heart.
When Cleopatra, in Egypt, hears of the marriage, she is
enraged and even tries to kill the messenger. Eventually she
accepts what she hopes will be a loveless marriage of
convenience and feels confident that Antony will return to her.
In Rome Caesar, Antony, and Lepidus face their common
enemies, including Pompey who is tempted by Menas to kill all
three that evening. However, in attempting to appear
honorable, Pompey must refuse Menas's offer, which he would
have gladly condoned had Menas done the deed and informed
him later. Despite grudges and mistrust, Pompey and the
triumvirs reach a truce agreement. Pompey then invites all to a
party on his yacht. The men are shown carousing and drinking
heavily. Lepidus, the weakest of the triumvirs and perpetual
"peacemaker" gets very drunk; Caesar, the strongest triumvir
at this time, conspicuously and disdainfully abstains.
Act 3
Political and personal relations are strained in Rome among the
rulers, even after Antony marries Octavia. He and Caesar still
distrust each other. Antony leaves with Octavia for Athens,
where they remain for a time. Torn between her brother and
her husband, Octavia returns to Rome to try to ease tensions.
While she is in Rome, however, Antony returns to Cleopatra.
Caesar and Lepidus have fought with Pompey, despite the
truce; their fighting results in Pompey's death and Caesar's
imprisonment of Lepidus, allegedly because Lepidus was too
involved with Pompey. Tensions continue between Antony and
Caesar, who becomes even angrier when he learns Antony has
participated with Cleopatra in an elaborate deification
ceremony, making their children heirs.
As preparations for a showdown between Caesar and Antony
get underway, Antony is warned not to fight at sea because
Caesar, having gained control of Pompey's defeated navy, is
far stronger there than Antony. However, Cleopatra and he
insist they can win with their combined forces and dare to take
on the stronger foe. The sea battle goes badly for Antony and
his men. Cleopatra retreats rather than fight, and Antony
follows her, abandoning his forces, humiliating himself, and
blaming Cleopatra for the defeat. Caesar accepts Cleopatra's
surrender and wants her to reject Antony in favor of him, which
she at first pretends to do. But she and Antony reconcile.
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Plot Summary 9
Act 4
The enemy forces of Caesar and Antony fight again, this time
on land. Although many men have left Antony and defected to
Caesar's side, Antony is victorious in this battle. Even
Enobarbus at the end deserts Antony but leaves behind all his
belongings. Antony nobly accepts the desertion and sends
Enobarbus's possessions back to him. Wracked with remorse
and guilt at having deserted his friend, Enobarbus dies from
shame and grief.
Thinking Caesar will now want to fight at sea after losing on
land, Antony prepares for a naval confrontation. Antony and
Cleopatra's forces do well at first, but they are not strong
enough. Caesar's forces conquer them all, and Cleopatra again
retreats with her ships. Antony is defeated and angrily blames
her again; he is so angry he wants to kill her.
Afraid, she runs from him and hides in her monumental tomb.
She has Antony informed she has committed suicide from
remorse so that she can judge his reaction. Believing her dead,
he asks the loyal Eros to kill him. Eros cannot bring himself to
act on Antony's order and instead kills himself. At this point
Antony attempts suicide and wounds himself badly. When
Diomedes arrives at the scene with the message that
Cleopatra is alive, Antony asks his aides to bring him to
Cleopatra in the tomb, where he dies in her arms.
Act 5
Caesar, whose earlier advances Cleopatra has rejected, now
comes to the conquered Queen who must surrender. He
pretends to make an agreement to appease her because he
wants to take her alive as a captive to Rome to build his own
image. On the pretense of protecting her, Caesar has her
guarded to prevent her suicide, for he knows she is too proud
to be humiliated by being paraded as a prisoner in Rome.
Cleopatra does not trust Caesar, and her suspicions are
confirmed by Dolabella, who reveals Caesar's intentions.
Despite the guards and the presence of Caesar himself,
Cleopatra has arranged for a basket of figs to be delivered to
her; inside the basket under the figs are asps. After Caesar
leaves, she has her ladies-in-waiting dress her regally as she
prepares to die. She then allows the snakes to bite her. Her
loyal ladies-in-waiting die along with her—first Iras, from shock
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide Plot Summary 10

and grief, and then Charmian, after Cleopatra and in the same
manner.

Caesar returns to find them dead. Despite earlier threats, he

softens and decrees Antony and Cleopatra will be buried
together. Caesar praises them, ending the play with an
acceptance that the fatal affair is over and it is time to return
to Rome and consolidate power.

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Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide Plot Summary 11

Plot Diagram

Climax

7
10 Falling Action
Rising Action
6
11
5

4 12

3 Resolution

2
1

Introduction

Introduction Climax

1. Antony realizes he must leave Alexandria for Rome. 9. Caesar and Rome defeat Egypt and Antony.

Rising Action Falling Action

2. Antony marries Octavia to keep peace with Caesar.
3. Antony, Caesar, and Lepidus sign a treaty with Pompey.
4. Antony and Octavia move to Greece.
10. Antony commits suicide when he believes Cleopatra is
dead.
11. Cleopatra commits suicide rather than become a prisoner.

5. Antony returns to Egypt and Cleopatra.

6. Caesar declares war on Egypt.

Resolution

7. Cleopatra's ship flees at the Battle of Actium. 12. Antony and Cleopatra are buried together.

8. Antony's ship follows Cleopatra's.

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Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide Plot Summary 12

Timeline of Events

c. 41 BCE

Antony and Cleopatra begin their affair, with Antony

spending time in Alexandria.

Some years later

Antony reluctantly goes to Rome to deal with his wife's

death, Caesar's scorn, and political unrest.

Soon after

For political expediency and Caesar's trust, newly

widowed Antony marries Octavia.

Soon after

Antony and Octavia leave for Athens, where he will rule

the eastern part of the Empire.

Some time later

Octavia returns to Rome to try easing tensions between

Antony and Caesar.

About the same time

Breaking a recent treaty, Pompey and Caesar battle,

ending with Pompey dead and Lepidus jailed.

About the same time

Antony has returned to Egypt and his old ways,

abandoning Octavia and angering Caesar.

Not long after

With relations worsening, Antony decides, against

advice, to confront Caesar at sea.

At the same time

Cleopatra encourages the sea battle, offering Antony

her ships and her help.

Soon after, in 31 BCE

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Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide Plot Summary 13

Overwhelmed in battle, Cleopatra retreats, with Antony

following and abandoning his men.

After the battle

Cleopatra rejects Caesar's proposal she leave Antony

for him.

Months later

As Antony and Caesar prepare for battle, Enobarbus

regretfully deserts Antony.

Very soon after

Redeeming himself as a general, Antony wins a land

battle against Caesar.

That night

Antony misjudges and prepares for a battle at sea the

next day.

The next day, 30 BCE

Overconfident, Antony loses to Caesar at sea, believing

Cleopatra has betrayed him.

After the battle

Puzzled by Antony's rage against her, Cleopatra hides in

her mausoleum.

That night

Antony mistakenly believes Cleopatra is dead and tries

unsuccessfully to kill himself.

Moments later

Learning Cleopatra is alive, Antony, mortally wounded, is

taken to her, where he dies in her arms.

August, 30 BCE

Rather than be Caesar's prisoner, Cleopatra dresses

regally and kills herself by snake bites.

That day after her death

Caesar arrives, somewhat moved, and decrees she and

Antony will be buried together in Egypt.

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Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
c Scene Summaries
Act 1, Scene 1
Summary
The play begins in a room in Cleopatra's palace in Alexandria,
Egypt, in the middle of a conversation between two of Antony's
companions, Philo and Demetrius. Philo explains that love for
Cleopatra has addled Antony's thinking and weakened his
courage. Previously Antony embodied Mars, god of war; now
he seems more like a servant waiting on Cleopatra. Antony and
Cleopatra enter. Philo murmurs that Antony, formerly "triple
pillar of the world," has become a "strumpet's fool." Antony and
Cleopatra, who don't see the two men, are deep in a laughing
conversation about Antony's limitless love for Cleopatra. A
messenger interrupts them, bringing news from Rome.
Cleopatra teasingly says maybe Fulvia, Antony's wife, is angry
at him. Or—of lesser consequence—maybe Caesar has some
instructions. After all, she hints, Antony is the servant of both
Fulvia and Caesar. Ignoring the taunt, Antony replies he
belongs where he is; the Empire is worthless clay compared to
his love for Cleopatra. Lovers are the world's true nobility, and
Antony and Cleopatra's love is the noblest of all.
Cleopatra persists in her teasing. If he loves her, Cleopatra, so
much, why did he marry Fulvia? Again Antony refuses to take
the bait, asking instead what they should do that evening.
Though Cleopatra repeats he should listen to the messenger,
Antony orders the man not to speak. He, Cleopatra, and their
retinue exit, leaving Philo and Demetrius to shake their heads
at Antony's folly.
Analysis
Though Scene 1 is brief, it pinpoints the play's essential
conflicts. Philo's opening speech sets out the problems; the
rest of the scene illustrates his words. He is acting as a mini-
chorus, introducing the main characters and the conflict they
embody. In a sense the real play begins after his introduction,
but his words also affect the way the audience first encounters
Antony: they are encouraged to see him as diminished and
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Scene Summaries 14
undignified in his devotion, not as the noble lover he thinks he
is.
Antony has abandoned his responsibilities as both a leader and
a soldier, but Philo and Demetrius know him to be a great man.
They clearly feel no respect for Cleopatra, whom Philo
dismisses as a lustful Egyptian. Antony's "dotage" may be mere
silliness or folly, but it is not as bad as Cleopatra's lust. The
word dotage suggests love has weakened Antony's brain. In
using the word lust in describing Cleopatra, Philo implies her
attraction to Antony is purely physical, not emotional.
Should the audience take Philo's word that Cleopatra is
Antony's inferior? At this point it is too early to tell. Philo makes
it clear he doesn't think she's worth Antony's adulation, but
probably any loyal soldier would feel this way. Still, Cleopatra's
first line is a demand Antony prove how much he loves
her—not an expression of her love for him. This statement hints
at her insecurity, as does her unreasonable jealousy of Fulvia,
whom Antony met and married long before coming to Egypt.
Both Cleopatra and Antony use exaggerated rhetoric to
discuss their love. Although imaginative and poetic, it suggests
a certain self-consciousness—as well it might, since they are
declaiming in front of several people. Not only do they consider
themselves Heroic Beings In Love; they want everyone to know
how they feel. This stagey, overwrought dialogue will be a
frequent feature in the play.
Despite Cleopatra's fussing and measuring exactly how much
Antony loves her, she seems to have a clearer sense of
Antony's responsibilities than he does. Twice she urges him to
listen to the news from Rome: "Your dismission is come from
Caesar. Therefore hear it, Antony." Cleopatra is a queen, after
all. She knows visitors from distant places deserve attention,
although she is less interested in political instruction than in a
possible message from her rival Fulvia.
For his part Antony is determined to ignore the messenger. He
also seems to believe his and Cleopatra's love has colossal
importance: "Kingdoms are clay ... we stand up peerless." The
idea that lovers are greater than kings is typical in love poetry,
but it is disconcerting to hear it in a conversation between two
actual rulers. And there is a hint Antony suspects his time with
Cleopatra is limited: "Let's not confound the time with
conference harsh. / There's not a minute of our lives should
stretch without some pleasure now." He might not speak this
way if he thought he and Cleopatra had all the time in the world
to enjoy themselves.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Shakespeare inserts a clever detail in lines 9 and 10. As Philo
jeers that Antony has become "the fan to cool a gypsy's lust,"
Cleopatra immediately enters—fanned by eunuch slaves. Both
Philo and Shakespeare may be implying that love has
"unmanned" Antony, a theme that returns throughout the play.
Act 1, Scene 2
Summary
It is evening, and several of Cleopatra's attendants are
gathered in another room of the palace. Charmian teasingly
asks a soothsayer to tell her fortune. Scanning her palm, the
soothsayer announces Charmian will "be yet far fairer than you
are" and that she will outlive the lady she serves—that is,
Cleopatra. Next the soothsayer reads Iras's palm and
announces her fate will be the same as Charmian's.
As the courtiers laugh and joke, Cleopatra enters, looking for
Antony. When Alexas points out the approaching Antony,
Cleopatra commands her retinue to leave with her and exit as
Antony and a messenger appear on stage.
The messenger has bad news. Fulvia and Antony's brother
have joined forces against Caesar. Antony upbraids himself for
having neglected his duty to be with Cleopatra. A second
messenger arrives with the shocking news Fulvia has died.
Antony informs Enobarbus, who at first cannot make sense of
the words: "Fulvia is dead." "Sir?" "Fulvia is dead." "Fulvia?"
"Dead." Then he shrugs off the news: "Your old smock brings
forth a new petticoat"—in other words, the death of Antony's
old love paves the way for this new one. Enobarbus adds that
Cleopatra needs Antony too much for him to leave. But Antony
is determined to return to Rome, where the situation is grave.
He orders Enobarbus to prepare for the journey.
Analysis
Scene 2 mirrors the preceding scene in some ways.
Charmian's mischievous banter calls to mind Cleopatra's
teasing banter to Antony in Scene 1. Again there is the
suggestion of important messages being ignored: Charmian
and Iras both laugh at the soothsayer's predictions, and
Enobarbus refuses to take seriously Antony's announcement
that he must return to Rome. When Antony adds Fulvia is dead,
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Scene Summaries 15
Enobarbus is literally unable to take in the message. He even
jokes about the death. In Scene 1 Cleopatra urges Antony to
listen to the messenger; now Antony urges Enobarbus to take
him seriously. "No more light answers," Antony says sternly.
To the modern reader the soothsayer's function may be
ambiguous. He is, somehow, a disturbing character, and
watching the attendants joke about him is vaguely unpleasant.
He certainly is not trying to drum up business; when Iras urges
him to be more specific about her future, he refuses. He is not
there merely to give away the ending because Shakespeare's
audience, familiar with Roman history, likely came to the
theater knowing the play's end. For them the soothsayer's
words add a frisson of dread to a comic scene. What matters
is that the soothsayer's audience ignores his message.
Scene 1 sets up a contrast between the rigors and
responsibilities of war and the pleasures of love. Scene 2
reveals greater contrast between these elements.
Shakespeare is concerned with more than merely the
difference between Antony and Cleopatra; each has been
shaped by dramatically opposing cultures. When Antony says
he must break the "strong Egyptian fetters" that bind him, he is
referring not only to Cleopatra, whom he often calls "Egypt,"
but to Egypt itself. In the play, Rome represents gravity,
purpose, and rigor—the traditional Western male culture of war
and power—whereas Egypt embodies the traditionally female
and also Eastern concepts of pleasure, luxury, and love. Scene
1 opens with Philo's solemn speech about the way Antony is
neglecting his duties; Scene 2 opens with Cleopatra's retinue
having fun with a fortune-teller. In this scene Antony struggles
to recall himself to his Roman duties.
Act 1, Scene 3
Summary
Cleopatra fretfully dispatches Alexas to track Antony down,
warning him not to tell Antony she sent him. "If you find him
sad, / Say I am dancing." Charmian tells the Queen she should
be more pliant, but Cleopatra scoffs at this advice. When
Antony enters, she is petulant. He's unfaithful; she's always
known he would betray her; why doesn't he go back to Rome, if
he thinks so little of her?
Finally Antony explains that Pompey is raising an army against
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
the triumvirate and that he must return to Rome to sort things
out with Caesar. Antony adds that a more important reason for
his departure—a reason Cleopatra should approve of: Fulvia
has died. At first Cleopatra affects not to believe this; then she
rebukes Antony for not showing more grief at his wife's death.
"Now I see, I see, / In Fulvia's death, how mine received shall
be." Antony finally loses patience and announces he is leaving.
Cleopatra swiftly calls him back to ask for his forgiveness—or
semi-ask for it. "Your honor calls you hence," she admits,
adding Antony should therefore be "deaf to my unpitied folly."
Analysis
Perhaps something in Antony's face warns her he has bad
news, for she attacks him the moment he walks into the
room—and Fulvia is the first verbal weapon she uses. In only 22
lines (24–46), she goes from petulance to rage to studied and
conspicuous grief. Antony has barely been able to open his
mouth when Cleopatra mourns, "Eternity was in our lips and
eyes." All is over, she seems to be saying, in what seems to be
artificially stagey and poetic language.
The signs are clear that both Antony and Cleopatra view
themselves as heroes on the world's stage, players in a larger-
than-life drama. And Cleopatra is a born actor. She seizes any
chance to play a part: now the abandoned lover, now the
teasing flirt, now the furious ruler of Egypt. It's not clear how
seriously Cleopatra takes her own moods. As she tells
Charmian, she would lose Antony if she gave in to him all the
time.
What does Charmian mean when she warns Cleopatra not to
tempt Antony "so too far"? Charmian is suddenly and atypically
serious here. "In time we hate that which we often fear" is a
reference to Antony. He is not afraid of Cleopatra, but he
dreads her tantrums, and Charmian is worried he finally will
lose patience.
Act 1, Scene 4
Summary
In Rome Caesar is reading a letter as he walks with Lepidus
and their retinue. The letter's contents clearly irritate Caesar.
Antony, he says, is wasting his time dallying with Cleopatra in
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Scene Summaries 16
Egypt; he has ignored Caesar's messengers; he is the epitome
of a fault-filled man.
Lepidus, eager to keep peace among the triumvirs, answers
Antony is not all bad. In fact, he says, Antony is so worthy his
few faults serve only to enhance his greatness. Caesar replies
although Antony's behavior is perhaps understandable, it is
dangerous to Rome and the triumvirate.
A messenger enters to announce Pompey has raised a strong
fleet of ships and is gaining support among some of Caesar's
followers. Caesar is not surprised: potential leaders, he says,
are always popular until they become actual leaders. A second
messenger reports two of Pompey's men are attacking coastal
regions and terrifying the people who live there. Caesar
becomes even angrier at Antony, furious that such a tough and
celebrated soldier should behave so shamefully now. "Let his
shames quickly drive him to Rome." Meanwhile he and Lepidus
must visit the battlefield and meet with their soldiers. Lepidus
promises to help.
Analysis
A great distance separates Alexandria and Rome, both literally
and symbolically. Throughout the play Shakespeare creates a
fantasized, symbolic conflict between the strict, moralistic
West, represented by Rome (and Antony), and the pleasure-
seeking, luxury-loving East, represented by Egypt (and
Cleopatra). This attitude is typical of the period: as Western
Europe began to have more frequent contact with Asia and
South Africa, Europeans began to develop a mythology of the
East as a place of exoticism, luxury, and sensuality. Scene 4 is
set in Rome, and Rome's ruler, Octavius Caesar, could not be
more different from Cleopatra. Nor could he be more
disapproving of her. She has transformed the formerly heroic
general, Mark Antony, into what Caesar thinks is a lazy,
thoughtless loser.
According to Caesar Cleopatra has also unmanned Antony.
Antony's being "not more manlike than Cleopatra" is another
way of saying "as womanlike as an actual woman," although it
also draws attention to Cleopatra's remarkable power. Women
in Caesar's Rome are wives and sisters, not rulers; indeed it is
noteworthy how few women appear in the Roman scenes. In
Egypt, by contrast, Cleopatra's courtiers are mostly women or
eunuchs; very few soldierly men stride about the palace in
Alexandria.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Caesar clearly feels wounded by what he sees as Antony's
betrayal. His feelings of abandonment mirror the Queen's. Both
Caesar and Cleopatra are rivals battling to control Antony, and
while the battle is symbolic—between war and love—it is also
literal. Both characters want Antony's loyalty, and each wants
him to demonstrate that loyalty in a way totally opposite to
what the other wants. Antony remains pulled between Rome
and Egypt, and it remains to be seen how Roman Antony will
become after he has left Alexandria.
Act 1, Scene 5
Summary
Back in Alexandria, Cleopatra is suffering without Antony. She
wishes she could drink mandragora, a poison to make her
sleep away the time. She calls her eunuch, Mardian, to her and
asks whether he is able to still feel love (since he can no longer
have sex). She wonders what Antony is doing at that moment.
Riding a horse? Asking after Cleopatra, his "serpent of old
Nile?" She reminds herself, and the audience, that Julius
Caesar (the uncle of Octavius) and Pompey (the brother of the
Pompey now attacking Rome) were both her lovers in the past:
she is indeed a "morsel for a monarch."
Alexas enters with a pearl that Antony, "the firm Roman,"
commanded him to bring to "great Egypt," promising that he,
Antony, will win so much territory for Cleopatra that "all the
East shall call her mistress." Cleopatra wants to know whether
Antony was happy or sad as he spoke those words; when
Alexas says his master's mood was in the middle of both those
extremes, the Queen exults that any mood suits Antony.
Calling for ink and paper to send Antony yet another message,
Cleopatra asks, "Did I, Charmian, / Ever love [Julius] Caesar
so?" Charmian provokes her by praising Caesar, pointing out
Cleopatra used to do the same thing. Cleopatra retorts that
those were "her salad days," before she had either judgment or
experience.
Analysis
The names of the Caesars and Pompeys can be confusing
unless readers know the naming customs practiced in ancient
Rome. Males were traditionally given three names: a first name
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Scene Summaries 17
(praenomen), a clan name (nomen), and a third name
representing the branch of the clan. The collection of first
names from which to choose was limited; usually a first son
would be given his father's first name, and often all the
daughters in the family would be given the same feminized
version of the father's first name. In Scene 5 the Caesar whom
Charmian praises is Julius Caesar, great-uncle of the Octavius
Caesar who is now one of the triumvirs; the Pompey Cleopatra
mentions is the current Pompey's older brother. It is important
to remember that these are also famous figures from Roman
history, and they would have been familiar to Shakespeare's
audience.
Scene 5 has a "meanwhile ... " quality. The little action going on
functions as a check-in on Cleopatra while Antony is politicking
in Rome. Cleopatra is feeling bored and idle without her lover.
She can't think of a way to pass the time except by sleeping.
Mandragora—the root of the mandrake plant—was believed to
make people sleepy when it was eaten or made into tea, which
is why Cleopatra wishes she had some. According to legend,
mandragora also drove away demons, which might also suit
Cleopatra's mood at this point!
It is significant Cleopatra strikes up a conversation with the
eunuch Mardian, although she says she takes "no pleasure / In
aught a eunuch has"—a reference to her own sexual appetite.
Perhaps she identifies with him, as sexual pleasure is
unavailable to her now. But her question "Hast thou
affections?" seems cruel, especially since Mardian was
probably castrated so that he could serve in her household. It
suggests she barely thinks of Mardian as a human being. In any
case she pays no attention to the honest and well-considered
reply he gives her. Instead her thoughts flit back to Antony.
Perhaps loneliness makes her feel undesirable: her memories
of Caesar and Pompey seem to cheer her up.
Cleopatra is definitely cheered by Alexas's appearance. The
audience has seen Cleopatra mock Antony to his face; without
him, however, she is full of praise. She seizes on the mention
that Antony's mood was neither good nor bad as proof of his
good disposition. Indeed neutrality in describing Antony is a
wise tactic to employ to avoid provoking Cleopatra, who might
easily fly into a rage upon hearing he is in a good mood or into
deeper dejection if he is in a bad mood. Cleopatra also scolds
Charmian for teasing her about having once loved Julius
Caesar—and indeed, Charmian's taunting does seem to come
out of nowhere. But it sets up one of Cleopatra's most famous
lines: "My salad days, / When I was green in judgment, cold in
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
blood, / To say as I said then." "My salad days" is a remarkable
example of Shakespeare's gift for coining new expressions,
and this one is still used widely today.
Act 2, Scene 1
Summary
In his house in Messina, Pompey is strategizing with Menas and
Menecrates. If the gods are just, says Pompey, they'll reward a
person whose cause is just. But Menas reminds Pompey even
when the gods favor someone, they don't necessarily reward
that person speedily; wise gods sometimes deny rewards to
individuals for their own good. But Pompey is confident of
victory. He is popular and controls a powerful navy at the same
time as Antony is distracted by love, and Caesar is losing
people's respect. Pompey adds that although Lepidus flatters
both Antony and Caesar, he loves neither, "nor either cares for
him."
When Menas says Caesar and Lepidus are "in the [battle]
field," Pompey is unconcerned. The two men may expect
Antony's arrival in Rome, but Antony is too besotted to leave
his "field of feasts." In the middle of Pompey's speech, Varrius
enters and confirms the rumor is true: Antony is en route to
Rome. Though Pompey is surprised "this amorous surfeiter
would have donned his helm[et] for such a petty war," he
remains calm. After all, he points out, Antony's involvement
could be interpreted as a sign he takes Pompey seriously.
Menas does not think Caesar will welcome Antony. After all,
Antony's late wife and his brother led an insurrection against
Caesar. Pompey refuses to speculate about this.
Analysis
This brief scene introduces Pompey and provides an update on
the progress of the battle. Pompey's first line concerns justice,
so it may appear his cause is just. But the main characters are
multidimensional, and Pompey will later be shown to care more
about being perceived as a just ruler than about being one.
Nevertheless at this point he seems confident he is in the right
and confident he will win.
When Menas says Caesar and Lepidus are already on the
battlefield, Pompey outright answers, "Tis false," a response in
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Scene Summaries 18
line with his boundless optimism about his prospects. He then
treats himself to a description of Cleopatra in which he
stresses her witchlike qualities more than her beauty. He
suggests Antony is not so much a hedonist trapped by his own
appetites as a prisoner under Cleopatra's spell. Antony's brain
is "fuming"; he's being fed food that will never satiate him; he's
in danger of falling into a Lethe-like sleep. (In Greek and
Roman mythology drinking from the Lethe—a river in the
underworld—caused people to forget the past.) Here is yet
another male perspective in which a powerful female is
thought dangerous.
Forced to accept the bad news that Antony actually is on his
way to Rome, Pompey wonders if the reason for the journey is
that members of the triumvirate fear him. This passage
suggests Pompey is skilled at turning negatives into positives,
but it is too early to know if the suggestion is true. He seems
realistic as well as optimistic. "How the fear of us / May cement
their divisions and bind up / The petty differences, we yet not
know." Although he himself has just wondered if the members
of the triumvirate fear him, he seems to say here, "Live in the
present. We can't control the future." All they can do is fight
their hardest.
Act 2, Scene 2
Summary
Lepidus is urging Enobarbus to ask Antony not to "stir up
embers" by arguing with Caesar. Enobarbus replies he'll ask
Antony only to be himself. If Caesar says something provoking,
why shouldn't Antony fight back? But Lepidus wants to avoid
trouble; for him it is more important the members of the
triumvirate get along than Antony raise personal grudges.
Antony and Ventidius enter from one side of the stage; Caesar,
Maecenas, and Agrippa enter from the other. Lepidus begs
everyone to stay calm. Though Antony and Caesar keep their
tempers, both clearly are angry. Antony begins the discussion
by saying Caesar has been criticizing him over matters that are
none of Caesar's business. Why does Caesar care whether
Antony has been living in Egypt?
Caesar replies he wouldn't care except Antony has been
plotting against him. Antony's wife and brother led the
insurrection against Caesar and did so in Antony's name.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Anthony protests: his brother never asked him to take arms
against Caesar, and Antony never supported the insurrection.
If Caesar wants to quarrel, he'll have to come up with
something worthier. Caesar reminds Antony of the messenger
to whom he refused to listen. This charge, Antony admits, is
true—but only because Antony had a hangover and explained
his condition to the messenger the next day.
Now Caesar hits back with a substantial allegation: "You have
broken the article of your oath." When Caesar needed help in
battle, Antony refused it. Again Antony pleads his
condition—constant revelry made him neglect his duty. With
matters at a standstill, Agrippa proposes a solution: why
shouldn't Antony marry Caesar's sister Octavia, making the
two men brothers! Antony and Caesar approve and shake
hands.
The three triumvirs and their followers exit; Enobarbus,
Agrippa, and Maecenas remain. Enobarbus obliges the two
other men with an extensive description of Cleopatra, painting
a near-fantastic vision of beauty, wealth, and charm. When
Maecenas mentions Antony must now leave Cleopatra,
Enobarbus knows he will not.
Analysis
This scene focuses on the character and influence of the
members of the triumvirate, Enobarbus, Agrippa, and
Cleopatra. Lepidus, the triumvir with least power, acts as a
peacemaker between Caesar and Antony, as well he should,
for relations are strained between the two and with sufficient
reason. While Lepidus lacks influence and persuasiveness, and
others pay little attention to him, his perspective is actually
valuable. Lepidus is concerned with the common good, not a
wounded ego, and he is right that further squabbling over
"trivial differences" creates further problems—"Murder in
healing wounds."
The other two triumvirs are more powerful and less willing to
appease one another. Caesar believes he has been wronged
and presents three incidents of Antony's offenses. One
involves Antony's wife and brother, but Antony claims not to be
involved. Whether Caesar believes it or not, the insurrection
they led has troubled Caesar, and he is reluctant to trust
Antony. The second and third offenses are related; Antony
dismisses one and admits fault for the other. However, his
explanations—drunkenness, hangover, excessive revelry,
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Scene Summaries 19
preoccupation with Cleopatra—are seriously questionable. If
Antony is above it all and dismissive of his duties as a ruler of
the Roman Empire because he is too hung over to execute
them, then Caesar is justifiably irritated and accusatory,
although he is a stiffer, less sympathetic character. Although
both may consider themselves political tacticians, neither is
showing much diplomacy, but Caesar's suspicious nature will
serve him well later on.
Indeed their subordinates show more insight and definitive
action. Agrippa comes up with an actual plan, however
seemingly random—the marriage of Antony and Octavia. It is a
step toward establishing trust through shared family ties.
Enobarbus, however, is more perceptive, for he knows Antony
will never give up Cleopatra. He knows the depth of their
commitment and the power she has over him. It would be hard
to know whether this marriage is actually doomed before it
begins, but Enobarbus's insights do not foreshadow a
successful political union, which is, of course, what the
marriage is intended to be.
Finally, there is the influence of Cleopatra, which for Antony is
all encompassing. He is, and will be, unquestionably and
unalterably committed to her, as Enobarbus knows and tries to
explain. Indeed his description of Cleopatra is among the most
famous of Shakespeare's scenes, although it is not seen on
stage; in film it has inspired lavish production spectacles and
captured the fantasies of artists and designers. He relates the
first time Antony laid eyes on the Egyptian queen as she sailed
along the water: "The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne,
/ Burned on the water ... / Purple the sails, and so perfumed
that / The winds were lovesick with them. The oars were /
silver." But for Antony it is not merely a question of beauty;
Antony is beguiled by her passion, her drama, her ambition, and
her unpredictable nature, encapsulated in one of
Shakespeare's best-known descriptions: "Age cannot wither
her, not custom stale / Her infinite variety. Other women cloy /
The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry / Where most
she satisfies." In stark contrast, the "beauty, wisdom, modesty"
Mecaenus attributes to Octavia—her traditional Roman
virtues—will not hold Antony's attention for long.
Act 2, Scene 3
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Summary
Antony and Caesar enter, Octavia walking between them.
Antony and Octavia exchange a few words of decorous love,
and Antony promises to be a model husband. Caesar leads his
sister away, and the soothsayer first seen in Act 1 now enters
and urges Antony to return to Egypt. "Thy daemon"—a modern
term might be "guardian angel"—"becomes afeard, as being
o'erpowered," whenever Antony comes into close contact with
Caesar. "If thou does play with him at any game," says the
soothsayer, "thou art sure to lose."
Antony angrily dismisses the soothsayer. But when alone,
Antony admits to himself the fortune teller's words are true.
Caesar beats him in every game of chance. "The very dice
obey him." Although Antony is willing to marry Octavia to keep
the peace, his happiness lies in Egypt with Cleopatra.
Analysis
It may be convenient for the alliance to have Antony marry
Octavia, and Antony speaks warmly to his future wife,
promising her a marriage "by the rule," but what does Octavia
think of the arrangement? Her thoughts are not important to
the men who strike the deal. For them Octavia is a piece to be
moved around their game board.
Shakespeare chooses to keep Octavia in the background, so
her emotions play no part in the story. Certainly arranged
marriages were usual, especially for political or financial
reasons, so this marriage is hardly shocking. For the brief time
she is on stage in this scene, she seems content enough to
marry Antony. She dutifully promises to pray for him while he is
away in battle. If she has negative feelings, she keeps them
hidden, suiting the modest, obedient ideal she represents.
But Octavia is more than a literary device; she was a real
person in history, and her marriage to Antony actually took
place. The real Octavia married the real Antony in 40 BCE, and
had two daughters with him. For a while she did, in fact, keep
the peace between her brother and her husband. Did she take
an active role in smoothing over their conflicts, or was her
presence enough to remind them to act as allies? The answer
is unknown. Four years later, however, Antony returned to
Cleopatra and refused to see Octavia even when she brought
him troops and money in 35 BCE. In 32 BCE he divorced her.
Even so, Octavia took Antony's and Cleopatra's children into
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Scene Summaries 20
her household after their parents died, and brought them up
with her own children by Antony.
Octavia's plight was not uncommon. Women in ancient Rome
were definitely second-class citizens. Even Octavia's name is
telling, as a woman's first name was the feminine form of the
family name (Octavia's brother is Octavius Caesar), plus an
identifying number (prima, secunda, and so on) to distinguish
among sisters. Before marriage women were expected to obey
their fathers; after marriage they were expected to obey their
husbands, who also had legal charge over any children of the
marriage.
Act 2, Scene 4
Summary
Lepidus suggests Maecenas and Agrippa go on their way;
battle calls. Agrippa answers they're waiting for Antony to say
goodbye to Octavia before they set out themselves. Maecenas
adds they're likely to reach Mount Misena before Lepidus, and
Lepidus agrees: "My purposes do draw me much about." The
men wish each other success and part.
Analysis
In films a quick cut is an abrupt change to another scene. On
stage short transitional scenes take the place of quick cuts.
This brief scene, one of several that act as transitions or
updates, introduces the possibility of ensuing battle with
Pompey, despite the festivities aboard his yacht and the signed
treaty. The scene also reinforces Antony's conflicts in love,
politics, and battle. Lepidus's comment reinforces the sense of
his "busy-ness" in doing "tasks" and bustling about.
Act 2, Scene 5
Summary
Cleopatra finds herself at loose ends. First she demands to
hear music; then changes her mind and wants to play billiards;
then she changes her mind again, suggesting a walk to the
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
river. There she'll go fishing and pretend every fish she catches
is Antony.
Charmian mentions a time when Cleopatra and Antony went
fishing together and Cleopatra's diver secretly fastened a
dried, salted fish onto Antony's line. Later they made love, and
the next morning she out-drank Antony, who passed out. While
he slept, Cleopatra dressed him in her clothes and put on his
sword herself. Those were the days!
A messenger from Italy enters, and Cleopatra toys with him as
if he were caught on her line. If the messenger can give her
good news of Antony, she'll reward him. When the messenger
answers Antony "is well," Cleopatra instantly assumes (or
pretends to assume) her lover is actually dead. No reward,
then! "The gold I give thee will I melt and pour down thy ill-
uttering throat."
After Cleopatra interrupts him a few more times, the
messenger reveals Antony has married Octavia. Cleopatra
attacks the messenger in a rage. Charmian remonstrates that
the messenger is innocent, but Cleopatra answers that
innocent people don't always escape punishment. Then she
reminds herself that as a queen, she shouldn't strike an inferior.
Calling the messenger back, she half-apologizes—but flies into
another rage when the messenger clings to the story of
Antony's wedding. Once more the messenger leaves, and once
more Cleopatra repents. She orders Alexas to follow the
messenger and demands a description of Octavia. She tells
Charmian to pity but not speak to her and then retires to her
chamber.
Analysis
The scene provides insight into Cleopatra's emotional range,
her sincere love for Antony, and her insecurity about their
union. She is aware of the intensity of her emotions, and
although she makes little attempt to control them, she does
realize what her position allows her to do and what it does not.
At the beginning of the scene it appears her highs and lows
seem stuck in the middle ground, where she is not meant to be
for long. She may be melancholy, but she is not one to sit
around brooding. Instead, and in character, she keeps
changing her mind about her next amusement—music, no
music; billiards, no billiards; fishing is most appealing at the
moment because she can talk about Antony and hooking him
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Scene Summaries 21
like a fish. In her description to Charmian, she sheds light on
the nature of her "infinite variety," as Enobarbus has described
what attracts and binds Antony to her. After she and Antony
went fishing, Cleopatra relates, "I laughed him out of patience,
and that night / I laughed him into patience. And next morn, /
Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed, / Then put my tires
and mantles on him, whilst / I wore his sword." In describing
their lovemaking—the games, the laughter, the drinking, and
the games again—she reveals her inventiveness and the
staying power of their relationship. Although the action doesn't
occur on stage, Shakespeare nonetheless reveals Cleopatra in
high spirits and provides the audience with a bit of bawdy
humor. It also invokes the running issue of appropriate gender
roles: Antony is symbolically effeminized by his love for
Cleopatra, while Cleopatra's power and independence are, by
Roman standards, unnaturally masculine. In Cleopatra's
description, she is both physically stronger—she wins the
drinking game—and ultimately masculine even in her
appearance.
From high comedy the scene shifts to high drama with the
arrival of the messenger. Cleopatra has been bored and
looking for excitement; now a new outlet appears for her. The
messenger is frightened of her but must reveal the news of
Antony's marriage. Predictably this time, Cleopatra is enraged
and releases her fury at the messenger: "Thou shalt be
whipped with wire and stewed in brine." However, by sending
Alexas to find out about Octavia, Cleopatra seems back on
course. Her passion has overwhelmed her, and she knows it. In
later regretting her behavior toward the messenger, she
regains some emotional control, showing her awareness of the
responsibilities of power, and admits to no justification for
mistreating a person doing his duty and giving her news she
prefers not to hear.
Act 2, Scene 6
Summary
In Italy Pompey and Caesar agree to a truce rather than go to
battle. Grievances are aired and threats made. Pompey wants
to avenge his father, who was killed in Egypt. He admits he is
inclined to accept the triumvirate's terms—rule over Sicily and
Sardinia in exchange for getting rid of pirates and sending
wheat to Rome as a tax—but is nursing a grievance against
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Antony. When Caesar was battling with Antony's brother,
Antony's mother fled to Sicily where Pompey welcomed her.
After Antony expresses gratitude for this gesture (he had not
done so previously), the two men shake hands. Antony also
thanks Pompey for (indirectly) bringing him back to Rome,
where he belongs.
While the treaty is being drawn up, the four signers—Pompey,
Caesar, Antony, and Lepidus—will take turns giving parties. The
first will be on Pompey's yacht, and all set off to go aboard.
Enobarbus and Menas remain. Enobarbus mutters that
Pompey the Great would never have signed such a treaty. He
and Menas talk about the treaty before they, too, shake hands.
Enobarbus tells Menas the group from Egypt expected to fight
with Pompey, and Menas answers he wishes the battle hadn't
become a party. Pompey, he says, has "laughed away" the
fortune he would have made by beating the triumvirate in
battle.
When Menas asks whether Antony is married to Cleopatra,
Enobarbus says no. Enobarbus predicts Antony will return to
Egypt and Cleopatra, making Octavia unhappy and Caesar
angry. Menas and Enobarbus then head for the party.
Analysis
This scene reveals attitudes of characters toward each other
and toward the events happening around them. For one,
Pompey has been nursing a personal and seemingly
insignificant grudge against what amounts to Antony's lack of
good manners. This grudge seems to echo Caesar's previous
grudges against Antony and may surprise some readers: it
seems impossible that the rulers of empires would allow such
petty grievances to influence their diplomacy or impact the
future of their citizens. But broadmindedness and acceptance
of others' flaws do not hold much sway in the minds of these
men who seem better soldiers than diplomats.
Pompey also reveals his curiosity about things Egyptian, some
details of which have been in the air but not clear to him and
others. Pompey raises this topic with a certain superiority,
implying he holds with Roman views on Eastern decadence
and Western seriousness and righteousness. With his grudge
against Julius Caesar for having killed Pompey the Great,
Pompey refers to an incident in which Cleopatra was smuggled
inside a mattress to Caesar, mentioning an event degrading to
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Scene Summaries 22
both.
The most revealing information, however, comes from the
dialogue between Menas and Enobarbus, who function here as
a mini-chorus commenting frankly on the characters and
action. Unhappy about the treaty, Menas thinks Pompey has
agreed to its terms too readily and is throwing away his future
by entering into an alliance with those he has considered his
enemies, showing that he's lacking some of his father's
greatness . Menas, formerly a pirate, is a fierce fighter,
prepared for action and disappointed in not having it. This isn't
necessarily admirable: both men seem to feel that war is worth
fighting for its own sake, and they're contemptuous of a peace
that would actually make the empire more secure and stable.
Further commentary reveals the men's thoughts about Antony
and about the influence of women. Enobarbus believes no
pretty woman "has a true face," and Menas agrees. From there
the discussion leads to Antony and Cleopatra, a relationship
about which Romans are hazy and which arouses curiosity.
Enobarbus, honest and perceptive as usual, predicts Antony's
marriage to Octavia will not serve its purpose in keeping peace
between Antony and Caesar. In fact, he believes "the band that
seems to tie their friendship together" will be the ruin of the
alliance. Octavia may be the perfect Roman wife—"holy, cold,
and still"—but not the kind of woman Antony wants, and not
one who can keep his attention.
Act 2, Scene 7
Summary
The banquet aboard Pompey's ship is under way. Servants
enter carrying an abundance of wine and gossiping about the
guests. Lepidus, the main topic of conversation, is drunk. The
Second Servant comments Lepidus is nothing but a
figurehead, powerful in name but nothing else. The First
Servant answers that being part of a powerful group but
wielding no power oneself is like being a pair of empty eye
sockets in a face—useless and disfiguring.
Caesar, Antony, Pompey, Lepidus, and some of their retinue
enter. Lepidus is listening to Antony's description of Egypt. He
asks about crocodiles and seems not to understand Antony is
teasing him with his answer. Meanwhile Menas is trying to get
Pompey's attention. An irritated Pompey keeps trying to put
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
him off but finally listens. Menas offers Pompey the chance to
become "lord of all the world" by offering to kill the three
triumvirs.
Pompey gives a rueful answer. If Menas had gone ahead and
killed the men without asking permission, then Pompey would
have been happy to seize power. But honor demands he deny
Menas the chance now that Menas has been clumsy enough to
mention it. Furious, Menas decides to quit Pompey's service.
Meanwhile Lepidus has passed out and is being carried by a
servant. Pompey, Antony, and Enobarbas are drunk, and
Antony tries to get Caesar to loosen up. Caesar is disinclined
to drink any more despite Antony's urging. Antony urges him to
"be a child o' th' time"—i.e., live in the present and stop thinking
about his responsibilities. The carousing has now reached the
point at which the men are dancing in a circle, but Caesar
remains stiff and censorious. Antony invites Pompey to
continue the fun at his house. They stagger off the ship with
everyone except Menas and Enobarbus, who continue the
party in Menas's cabin.
Analysis
Two things are clear in this scene: Pompey's ship is nothing
like Cleopatra's barge as it is described in Act 2, Scene 2, and
Caesar is not much of a diplomat or drinker.
Barges and military ships have little in common, but the two
vessels are closely linked in this act. Cleopatra's barge
embodies all that is lush and beautiful about Shakespeare's
Egypt; Pompey's naval ship, filled with drunken Romans, is
almost a parody of a harsh, raucously "macho" setting.
With its perfumed purple sails, its "lovesick" winds, and its silver
oars, the barge has no other purpose but to put a lolling
Cleopatra on display. On Pompey's ship, by contrast, even a
truce-signing party is interrupted by the casual suggestion the
guests of honor have their throats cut. As Cleopatra's barge
floats down the Nile, it seems sensually joined with the winds
and the water, as if nature itself were in love with the Queen.
On the ship Antony describes the Nile in terms of "slime and
ooze." His nondescription of the crocodile is funny, but it also
suggests that these men are not at one with nature.
Cleopatra's barge is designed to appeal to every sense except
taste; aboard the ship, on the other hand, Antony literally
suggests the men drink themselves senseless.
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Scene Summaries 23
There can be no doubt Cleopatra enjoys being rowed on her
barge, but Caesar does not enjoy Pompey's party. If the other
men weren't so drunk, they might point out Caesar is being a
killjoy. He utters not a word until the scene is two-thirds over.
Then, urged to further drinking by Antony, Caesar answers, "I
had rather fast from all, four days, / Than drink so much in
one." A few lines later, he adds, "Our graver business / frowns
at this levity.—Gentle lords, let's part." His response is hardly a
gracious acceptance of Pompey's hospitality and once again
shows a lapse in diplomacy.
If Caesar overheard Menas's offer to kill the triumvirate, he'd
have reason for wanting to leave the ship, but only Pompey
hears him. His answer to Menas is striking. Not in the least
disturbed at the idea of triple murder, he is visibly disappointed
because Menas asked his permission to kill the guests of
honor. "Ah, this thou shouldst have done / And not spoke on't!"
If Menas had gone ahead and killed the triumvirate, says
Pompey, "I should have found it afterwards well done"—but
now that Menas has made the suggestion, Pompey has no
choice but to condemn it. Pompey explains his honor is more
important than gain; however, he is actually talking about his
perceived honor, since an honorable man would never condone
the murders themselves, whether or not he knew they were
happening.
It is clear from the wild party aboard the ship that the Romans
are as guilty of excess as they claim the Egyptians to be; the
Roman guests will be no less drunk and indulged than their
Egyptian counterparts, but there seem to be no women on
board. Unlike his carousing colleagues, however, Caesar
complains that wine makes his tongue "split what it speaks"—in
other words, slur his words. He remains above such behavior
and scorns it. Ruled by his ambition and seriousness, he seems
never to let down his guard. As readers already know, and
Shakespeare's audience knew, Caesar despises Cleopatra,
"the serpent of the Nile," and snakes have forked, or split,
tongues. Perhaps at some level Caesar is anxious that drunken
carousing will make him more like Cleopatra.
It's worth noting that while the Romans are critical of what they
see as Egyptian luxury and licentiousness, Shakespeare's
representation doesn't really support Roman values. Roman
society is unappealing whether it's sober—embodied by
Caesar's stiffness and Octavia's "holy, cold, and still
conversation"—or celebratory, as evidenced by the unpleasant,
treacherous revelry in this scene.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Act 3, Scene 1
Summary
Ventidius, one of Antony's lieutenants, enters behind a
procession of soldiers carrying the body of Pacorus of Parthia.
His companion Silius is with him. Ventidius exults that by killing
Pacorus, he has finally avenged the death of Marcus Crassus
and beaten the Parthians. Silius urges him to continue fighting
the fleeing Parthians; that way he'll earn even more respect
from Antony.
Ventidius demurs, saying a soldier should not look as if he is
trying to outdo his master. Appearing too ambitious is risky. "I
could do more" to help Antony's cause," he says, but "'twould
offend him." Silius says Ventidius possesses the wisdom that
helps a soldier as much as a sword. But will he at least tell
Antony about the death of Pacorus? Ventidius says he'll send
the news but make it sound as though Antony deserves the
credit for inspiring his men. Antony is about to leave for
Athens, so with luck they'll be able to show him the body
before he leaves.
Analysis
Once again characters ponder the question of what
constitutes honor. Silius thinks the greater the success of
Ventidius, the greater his glory, and killing Pacorus to avenge
Crassus is a great achievement. (Crassus, a wealthy advisor to
Julius Caesar, was killed by Orodes, king of the Parthians and
father of Pacorus.) Ventidius answers in a way both tactful and
canny. Yes, he could punish the Parthians further, but the act
might backfire if Antony began to perceive him as a threat.
Taken at face value, this answer seems humbly respectful
toward Antony, but for Ventidius it's a tactic, not a sign of real
humility. Although Antony has not revealed himself a jealous
leader, perhaps Ventidius has shared enough battles with him
to know Antony could resent feeling outdone. What is certain is
that Venditius judges his own actions partly by the effects they
have on others; he is conscious of the effect he produces. Like
several other characters in the play, Ventidius is a performer
who is well aware he is performing, and perception is more
important than substance, as the perception of being
honorable rather than the reality of being honorable drives
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Scene Summaries 24
Pompey.
Messengers abound in Antony and Cleopatra, and the letter
Ventidius plans to write is another form of message. Like
others in the play, the letter will mean more than it says.
Act 3, Scene 2
Summary
Agrippa and Enobarbus enter separately. Enobarbus says
Pompey has left already and the members of the triumvirate
are signing and sealing official documents. Octavia is unhappy
about leaving Rome, and Lepidus is feeling the aftereffects of
Pompey's party. The two men grab the chance to make fun of
Lepidus, slavishly eager to please (and placate) Antony and
Caesar. As they joke, a trumpet sounds. Enobarbus and
Agrippa bid each other farewell as the triumvirate and Octavia
enter.
Caesar and Antony still don't trust each other. Caesar tells his
new brother-in-law he hopes sharing Octavia will keep them
friendly. Antony assures Caesar nothing further will test their
alliance.
Caesar says a fond goodbye to Octavia, who is weeping.
Referring to either Antony or her late first husband, she asks
her brother to look after "my husband's house." She and
Caesar walk a few steps away to say a private goodbye while
Enobarbus quietly asks Agrippa whether Caesar will also start
to cry. Agrippa reminds his friend that Antony cried over the
deaths of both Julius Caesar and Brutus, and Enobarbus tartly
replies Antony was quite willing to mourn the two men whose
deaths he had helped bring about. Trumpets sound as Antony
and Octavia depart.
Analysis
Pompey's servants have already made fun of Lepidus; now
Agrippa and Enobarbus are mocking him; this treatment
implies Lepidus may not be around much longer, for he serves
little purpose other than to be the object of mockery. Nor does
Antony and Caesar's relationship look promising, and despite
Antony's slightly artificial-sounding comment about Octavia's
tears being the showers that bring on "love's spring" there's
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
not much to show he and his bride are a happy pair.
For all Caesar's professed love for Octavia, when he speaks
about her to Antony, he describes her as an inanimate object.
She's a "piece of virtue," the "cement of our love" (that is, his
and Antony's), and she'd better not be used as a battering ram
to knock down the structure of the alliance. It's hard to imagine
a more brutal image than a battering ram, and since Antony is a
new husband (and one whose wife is standing right there), he
might be expected to answer something like, "Of course I won't
let my beloved wife be treated like that." But he doesn't even
mention Octavia in his curt reply to Caesar. "You shall not find,
/ Though you be therein curious, the least cause / For what
you seem to fear."
Octavia has good reason to cry. Her brother and her new
husband have used her as a bargaining chip, and she's leaving
her home. If she knew Antony in the past, she doesn't know
him in the present; he has been living in Egypt for the past
decade, so she has married someone she hasn't seen in at
least 10 years. Caesar scorns Antony for his attachment to
Cleopatra, but bartering away his own sister seems worse.
Caesar bids his sister adieu—"farewell," rather than the more
optimistic au revoir—"until we see each other again."
Act 3, Scene 3
Summary
In Alexandria Cleopatra asks her attendants, "Where is the
fellow?" She is referring to the messenger she sent to get a
good look at Octavia. In that meeting Cleopatra was so rough
with the messenger that he is understandably afraid to see her
now. But his message is unthreatening, even to someone as
insecure as Cleopatra: Octavia is short and low-voiced. "Dull of
tongue and dwarfish," comments Cleopatra approvingly.
Octavia's gait is a "creep," she seems more like a statue than a
real person, and "her forehead [is] as low as she would wish it."
"I find thee most fit for business," a relieved Cleopatra tells the
messenger. When the messenger has left, Cleopatra
confesses she's now sorry for her earlier behavior. Clearly
Octavia isn't worth worrying about! Cleopatra adds she has
one more question, but it can wait.
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Scene Summaries 25
Analysis
Even when Cleopatra is behaving badly, it's hard not to enjoy
her "infinite variety." In her conversation with the messenger
about Octavia, she would sound like an insecure teenager
except that she is funny. She must realize the messenger is so
frightened he won't pay Octavia any compliments; moreover,
she has no way of verifying anything the messenger says. But
because she's in a merry mood, she twists his carefully
innocuous report into a hideous caricature: "dull of tongue and
dwarfish." This time—no doubt to the messenger's relief—she
is enjoying his report. This exchange reinforces the idea that
perception is what matters, as shown by Venditius and
Pompey: Octavia is supposed to be beautiful and well-spoken,
but what matters here is the report, not the reality.
Considering how Cleopatra behaved the last time he saw her,
the messenger has good reason to be nervous. But clearly
Cleopatra has already adjusted to the truth and has decided to
be a good sport this time. On some level, she must still be
jealous of Octavia, but she manages to make fun of her own
jealousy. It is an admirable performance.
The messenger is lucky in one way. Octavia's calmly reserved
demeanor may be the height of Roman respectability, but it is
nothing Cleopatra would envy. Cleopatra likes being
temperamental; she knows Antony loves her exhibitionism. And
she's a savvy ruler who knows why an arranged marriage can
be a political expedient.
When the messenger says Octavia's forehead is "as low as she
would wish it," the line recalls Antony's description of the
crocodile in Act 2, Scene 7: "It is shaped, sir, like itself, and it is
as broad as it hath breadth." Both accounts seem to make
sense but actually say nothing at all. The messenger is really
just saying that Octavia wouldn't want her brow to be any
lower than it is. But since a low brow was considered
unattractive and a sign of poor intelligence, who would want a
lower brow, regardless of what it looked like now?
Act 3, Scene 4
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Summary
In Greece, Antony is complaining to Octavia about Caesar.
Antony is convinced Caesar is plotting against him. Despite the
truce, Caesar has again fought with Pompey; he has read his
will in public; he has found countless occasions to denigrate
Antony. A distraught Octavia begs Antony not to believe
everything he's heard, or at least not to be so angry about it.
Octavia is pinned between husband and brother, and if they
break their alliance, what will be left of her, who has "no
midway 'twixt these extremes?"
Somewhat calmer, Antony tells Octavia he'll allow her to return
to Rome to try to reconcile him with Caesar. He'll draw up
plans for fighting Pompey while Octavia is away. Octavia
thanks him, observing that for her, a war between Antony and
Caesar would be like having the world cut in two. Antony
ominously remarks that once she's seen who began the
hostilities (i.e., Caesar), Octavia will want to take his side. "Our
faults can never be so equal that your love can equally move
with them."
Analysis
It seems Antony is allowing Octavia to visit Caesar because
she has asked him for permission, not because he and Caesar
still have anything in common. It will become evident later in the
play that Antony is right to suspect Caesar, who has begun
systematically eliminating his former allies. Once again, the
appearance of honor is different from the fact: despite his
sobriety, seriousness, and self-righteous demeanor, Caesar is
willing to betray his word and a signed treaty.
That Antony cares little for Octavia also is evident by the way
he talks about Caesar and distrusts him. He seems to take little
notice that he is talking about her brother. When Octavia
explains the pain of being caught in the middle of the two
men's hostilities, she is begging him to understand her
problem, yet he brushes her off without a single kind word. He
is uninterested in or does not understand the subtext of her
words.
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Scene Summaries 26
Act 3, Scene 5
Summary
Enobarbus and Eros discuss war news. Eros reports Caesar
and Lepidus, who defeated Pompey together, have fallen out.
Caesar has charged Lepidus with treason and jailed him. With
Lepidus out of the picture, Enobarbus compares the situation
to an empty pair of jaws: with no food between them, Antony
and Caesar will keep grinding each other, unable to peaceably
share power. Nevertheless, Antony's navy is about to sail for
Rome.
Analysis
Lepidus is timid and ineffectual, he hates to see people get
angry, and he can't hold his liquor. As he is portrayed in this
play, it is hard to see how he could ever have become a
triumvir. Because there was in fact a historical Lepidus, and
because Caesar did break with him, Shakespeare had little
choice but to include him. Because this play contains little
humor, portraying Lepidus as a comic figure seems a good
dramatic move on Shakespeare's part. It may seem harsh for
this ineffectual nobody to end up in jail, but the fate of the
historic Lepidus would have been dull on stage. He was
stripped of his power in 36 BCE and gradually faded from
public notice. His son tried to kill Octavius Caesar in 30 BCE,
giving Lepidus the added shame of being a would-be
assassin's father.
Act 3, Scene 6
Summary
In Rome, Caesar is railing against Antony's latest actions.
Antony has established Cleopatra as absolute monarch of
Egypt, lower Syria, Cyprus, and Lydia. He and Cleopatra sat
enthroned on golden chairs for the ceremony, and Cleopatra
was dressed like the goddess Isis. Caesarion, Cleopatra's son
from her relationship with Julius Caesar, was also there. The
current Caesar, who was adopted by Julius, refers
sarcastically to "my father's son" by the queen.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Maecenas and Agrippa want the Roman people told about all
this, but Caesar replies they already know. They know, too, that
Antony is charging Caesar with theft and has publicly criticized
Caesar for deposing Lepidus.
Caesar has already taken steps to deal with Antony. A
messenger is on his way to say Lepidus had "grown too cruel"
to remain in office and Antony may share in the spoils of the
war against Pompey if Caesar gets some of the spoils from the
kingdoms Antony has conquered. Maecenas says, "He'll never
yield to that."
At this point Octavia arrives in Rome with her retinue. Caesar
laments Antony has put his sister aside. Surprised, Octavia
says Antony's done nothing of the kind. Caesar protests: how
can Octavia have Antony's support if he allowed her to travel
to Rome in such humble fashion? Where's the pomp and
pageantry with which Octavia should be surrounded? Why
hasn't Octavia even let Caesar know she was coming? He
would have given her a welcome befitting her status!
Octavia explains she hasn't come because Antony has
mistreated her; she's here hoping to establish peace between
her husband and her brother. Caesar informs her Antony is no
longer in Athens but back in Alexandria, has made Cleopatra
absolute monarch of Egypt, and gathered a bevy of kings who
are now assembling to battle the Roman Empire.
Octavia is devastated, although she seems less interested in
Antony's desertion than in being caught between a brother and
husband who can't get along. Caesar advises her to take heart
and to patiently let fate take its course. Agrippa and Maecenas
add "each heart in Rome doth love and pity" Octavia because
Antony has abandoned her for a whore.
Analysis
Act 3, Scene 6 falls in the middle of the play. Until now the
action has revolved around Antony's leaving Cleopatra and
returning to Rome to restore his relationship with Caesar. From
here on Antony and Cleopatra are back together, and Caesar
is on his way to Egypt to destroy them. This is the last scene
set in Rome.
True to his time and place, Caesar never wonders whether he
might have contributed to Octavia's unhappiness. When she
arrives without pageantry and fanfare, her brother is more
troubled by the indirect assault on his own image than he is
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Scene Summaries 27
concerned for her welfare—once again perception becomes
more important than reality. In letting Octavia travel so
humbly—more like a "market maid" than a sister and wife of
emperors—Antony isn't showing the proper respect for his
brother-in-law. And another seemingly trivial grudge grows
more serious and out of proportion.
Caesar is still fuming over Antony's most recent and more
serious outrage: his brother-in-law's decision to legitimize
Cleopatra's monarchy and make his children with the Egyptian
queen legitimate heirs. According to Roman law the children of
"mixed" marriages—Roman and non-Roman—could not inherit
property.
Furthermore Caesar is right about Antony's irresponsibility:
Antony has reverted to earlier behavior. For a while it seemed
he might rein himself in and resume his role as co-emperor
along with Caesar. But Enobarbus was right: Antony cannot let
go of Cleopatra and his life with her. What seemed like self-
indulgence in Act 1 now seems remarkably like self-destruction.
Readers might question the speed with which he reverts to his
former ways so soon after marrying Octavia and solidifying his
relationship with Caesar. But Shakespeare is condensing 10
years of history into a 5-act play. The historical Antony lived in
Rome for three years after marrying Octavia and before
returning to Cleopatra.
Act 3, Scene 7
Summary
In Alexandria Cleopatra berates Enobarbus for having said she
shouldn't join the war. She's the ruler and believes she should
battle along with the men. Enobarbus, however, is trying to
explain her presence would distract Antony when he enters
along with Canidius. Marveling at how fast Caesar's navy has
captured the Greek city of Toryne, Antony tells Canidius he,
too, will fight by sea.
Enobarbus and Canidius do their best to dissuade Antony from
this idea. His celebrated victories have always come from land
battles. His naval force is largely rookies recently pressed into
service, whereas Caesar's fleet is full of skillful mariners.
Caesar's ships are also better than Antony's. On the other
hand, Antony's army is second to none. He can be certain of
winning on land.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide Scene Summaries 28

But Antony has made up his mind—or he and Cleopatra have
made up their minds together. Cleopatra says she has 60 ships
as good as Caesar's. Besides, Antony adds, they can always
fight by land if they fail at sea. After Antony puts Canidius in
charge of their 19 land legions and their 12,000 horses, he and
Cleopatra set off to sea.
A soldier begs Antony to reconsider, but Antony, Cleopatra,
and Enobarbus are already on their way out. When the soldier
says he's sure he's right, Canidius agrees Antony is making the
wrong choice because he's allowing Cleopatra to lead him. "We
are women's men." Meanwhile Caesar is moving unbelievably
fast.
Antony answers almost as childishly as Cleopatra might. He
wants to fight by sea "for that [Caesar] dares us to 't." When
Enobarbus patiently reminds Antony his navy is far weaker
than Caesar's, Antony's answer is just as unreasonable and
stubborn as his previous one. "By sea, by sea," he insists. "Well,
well, away" is all he says when one of his own soldiers begs
him not to take on a naval battle.
At this point both Antony and Cleopatra are behaving
unreasonably and incompetently. Losing this battle, an
infamous and deeply symbolic one in Roman history, will
change their perspective and restore their dignity.

Act 3, Scene 8
Analysis
At this point watching Antony and Cleopatra is unpleasant. In
Scene 6 Antony's political choices seem head-shakingly bad,
Summary
but Antony is still remembered as a great military leader. In
Caesar and his lieutenant, Taurus, march in with their army.
Scene 7, however, Antony's military acumen seems to fly out of
Caesar orders Taurus not to strike by land before the navy has
the window because of Cleopatra's wish to be at the center of
completed the battle at sea: "Provoke not battle / Till we have
the action.
done at sea." This plan assures their best chance of winning.

Cleopatra sounds like a petulant child at the beginning of the

scene. I'll get even with you, Enobarbus. What a way to talk to
an experienced soldier and one of Antony's closest friends!
Analysis
When Enobarbus persists, telling Cleopatra the Romans are
Caesar sees the advantage in the strength of his navy and
mocking Antony's mismanagement of this war, all Cleopatra
wants to keep it engaged in battle. What he says in this scene
can hear is that she is being shut out of something interesting
indicates he plans to win first at sea, then by land if necessary,
and challenging. But her perspective is also understandable:
and he seems convinced of his strategy.
she is a ruler in her own right, and it is insulting to suggest that
she should not participate simply because she is Antony's lover
The quick parade of extremely short scenes that follow
and he'll be too worried about her welfare. This puts the onus
substitutes for battle action, keeping the tension high without
for Antony's performance in battle completely on her, rather
having to resort to complex and messy battle scenes.
than on his own ability.

When writing this play, Shakespeare drew heavily on Plutarch's

biography of Antony and Cleopatra. In Plutarch's account
Cleopatra demands to lead her own ship because she fears if
she leaves the scene, Antony will return to Octavia. Cleopatra's
willful determination would be easier to tolerate if Shakespeare
had given her a motive for it. Instead readers may cringe as
Cleopatra pretends to know what she's talking about. When
Antony announces the battle will take place at sea, Cleopatra
instantly echoes, "By sea, what else?" How it must infuriate her
that Canidius ignores her, instead asking, "Why will my lord so
do?"
Act 3, Scene 9
Summary
Antony and Enobarbus enter. They are outside, presumably in
a position from which they can view the harbor. Antony
announces they will set squadrons (arrange their soldiers) on
the hillside to keep track of how many ships Caesar has.

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Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Analysis
In this mini-scene, Shakespeare provides another chance to let
the audience know what is going on without having to show it.
Antony's brief instructions to Enobarbus are less effective than
Caesar's to Taurus. Antony seems not to have planned this
part of the battle; he's gambling on knowing what to do once
he sees how many ships Caesar has sent out. Antony's exit
line, "And so proceed accordingly," sounds ominously vague
compared with Caesar's "Our fortune lies / Upon this jump."
Act 3, Scene 10
Summary
Amid the sounds of a sea battle, Canidius and his ground
forces leave the stage in one direction while Taurus and his
forces march offstage in the opposite direction. Enobarbus
enters, distraught. Antony's navy has been defeated. Scarus
enters, equally distraught. "We have kissed away / Kingdoms
and provinces," he mourns. Cleopatra's ship turned and fled,
followed by the rest of her fleet. When he saw her go, Antony
ordered his ship to follow, abandoning the battle at a crucial
point.
Canidius now enters in despair, saying if Antony had
remembered he was a great general, they would have won.
Seeing Antony's cowardice, officers are fleeing; Canidius
himself plans to turn over his legions and horses to Caesar,
and six kings have surrendered. Enobarbus vows to stay with
Antony though he realizes he's being irrational.
Analysis
Antony deserves a big "I told you so" from everyone who
warned him against engaging in a battle by sea. In this scene
the audience gets to see what Antony's men say when he
cannot hear them; indeed they hold nothing back.
Cleopatra already has been the subject of many comparisons,
but most of them have ascribed some aspect of power to her.
Serpent, gypsy, sorceress, even whore—all of these have at
least the ability to harm. When Scarus calls her an old horse
("nag") and a cow, the words are an insult as well as a
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Scene Summaries 29
dismissal. There is nothing to admire in a nag. His calling
Antony a "doting mallard" is equally dismissive. Although
mallards are wild (and are the ancestors of most domestic
ducks), they prefer sheltered water and are easily tamed.
It also recalls the opening of the play: "Nay, but this dotage of
our general's / O'erflows the measure." Doting on someone
means "loving that person past the point of reason," and
dotage is a time of old age, weakness, and possible senility.
Cleopatra's exit from the Battle of Actium, and Antony's ill-
considered decision to follow her, was a symbolically resonant
event for Shakespeare's audience. It was an infamous symbol
of the distraction represented by women, love, and leisure. In
this text, it is an excellent metonymy, or stand-in, for the play's
larger theme of Rome versus Egypt and of the continual
criticism that Antony has allowed his love for Cleopatra to
distract him from his duties as ruler and soldier.
Images of disease in this scene add another layer of disgust.
Scarus wishes Cleopatra would catch leprosy; Enobarbus says
his eyes were "blasted," and he "sickened" at the sight of
Antony's retreat. There is nothing noble about making other
people sick! That the language has reached this level suggests
nothing can restore Antony in their eyes.
The water imagery in this scene is particularly striking. Water
flows through every act of the play, and often it is presented as
something dangerous. "Our fortune on the sea is out of breath
/ And sinks most lamentably," Enobarbus bemoans. In the
second half of the play, the sea is invariably portrayed as a
threat to Antony's side.
Important, too, is the line "We have kissed away / Kingdoms
and provinces." From here on, every kiss in the play will be
significant.
Act 3, Scene 11
Summary
Deeply shamed, Antony enters with some of his attendants.
The land, he says, "is ashamed to bear me." He urges them to
take the gold from his ship and make their peace with Caesar.
He will try to intervene with Caesar on their behalf. Meanwhile,
he begs his followers to leave him; his actions have proved him
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
unfit to command.
Charmian, Iras, and Eros enter, leading Cleopatra. In his
distress Antony doesn't notice them, and they urge Cleopatra
to comfort him. Thinking aloud, Antony remembers how he
defeated Cassius and Brutus while Caesar himself refused to
fight. "Yet now—no matter."
While Eros tries to alert Antony that Cleopatra is in the room,
Iras urges Cleopatra to speak to Antony, undone by shame.
When Antony finally pays attention, he upbraids Cleopatra. "O,
whither hast though led me, Egypt?" Cleopatra begs
forgiveness, saying she never imagined Antony's ship would
follow hers. Antony protests she knows the hold she has on
him and should have known he would follow her even if the
gods had ordered otherwise.
"O, my pardon!" begs Cleopatra again, but Antony isn't really
listening. Cleopatra apologizes again, but Antony is thinking of
how he—who once "with half the bulk o' th' world played as I
pleased"—will now have to humiliate himself with Caesar. When
Cleopatra asks a third time for forgiveness, Antony tells her
not to cry; even a single one of her tears is worth more than
everything he's won and lost. They kiss. As they leave, Antony
calls for food and wine.
Analysis
Antony and Cleopatra have often used inflated rhetoric, so it's
startling to see how plainly and directly they speak now that
fortune has turned against them. Antony's two opening
speeches are heartbreaking in their simplicity, especially his
wrenching attempt to sound casual in "I'll see you by and by."
Antony has often referred, scornfully, to Caesar's extreme
youth. Now, for the first time, he speaks of himself as old. "My
very hairs do mutiny, for the white / Reprove the brown for
rashness ... " But when he first sees Cleopatra, he babbles "No,
no, no, no, no" like a baby. The two rulers' subordinates treat
them not like royalty but more like children who have been hurt
and do not know how to behave. "Go to him, madam, speak to
him," coaxes Iras, since her mistress seems lost in the face of
her lover's grief. Meanwhile, Eros must tell Antony five times
that Cleopatra has come into the room.
Readers may wish Antony and Cleopatra would go back to
being high-handed and imperious. Yes, they both deserve an "I
told you so." However, it is disheartening to see this couple,
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Scene Summaries 30
who have called themselves gods, behave simultaneously like
old people and young children.
Also painful is seeing Cleopatra so penitent. Like Antony she
speaks plainly. At first she tries to excuse herself by saying she
had no idea Antony would follow her. Maybe she expects
Antony to comfort her, but instead he answers, "Egypt, thou
knew'st too well / My heart was to thy rudder tied by th'strings,
/ And thou shouldst tow me after." After that, all Cleopatra can
do is ask his pardon. There's no more self-justification. She has
sometimes blamed others, especially messengers, for giving
her bad news. Now, perhaps for the first time, she is accepting
the blame for her own actions.
But is she entirely responsible? In effect, Antony is telling her
he was powerless once she'd turned her ships around. "O'er
my spirit / Thy full supremacy thou knew'st." Once again he is
treating her like someone with magic powers, a sorceress
whom he is helpless to resist. At this point it would be tactless
for anyone to point out that Cleopatra does not actually have
Antony under a spell. What "made" him leave the battle was his
own impetuousness.
In fact, at this time more than any other, Antony should have
stayed at his post. During a battle a commander's first
responsibility is to protect those under his command. It doesn't
work to stretch the point and say Cleopatra was under
Antony's command during the battle. He would not have
followed anyone else in his fleet and therefore should not have
followed her.
To maintain his self-respect, Antony rallies at the end of the
scene. He seems to shake himself out of his gloom. "Fall not a
tear, I say ... Give me a kiss. / Even this repays me." This is
another significant kiss. It is the first time in the play the pair
have expressed their love without trying for effect.
Act 3, Scene 12
Summary
Caesar, Agrippa, Thidias, and Dolabella are waiting for
Antony's ambassador. Dolabella comments on Antony's choice
of the Schoolmaster to arrange terms, a sure sign he is beaten;
in the past Antony could have commanded surplus kings to be
his emissaries.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
The Ambassador enters, greets Caesar humbly, and then
offers Antony's petition. Antony wishes to be allowed to live in
Egypt; if Caesar won't permit that, then in Athens. Cleopatra
also surrenders to Caesar's power but wishes to have back her
crown to leave for her heirs. Caesar replies curtly. He won't
grant anything Antony asks. He'll think about granting
Cleopatra's wish on the condition she either banish Antony or
kill him.
The Ambassador wishes good fortune to Caesar, who
promises him safe passage through the camp. Then Caesar
turns to Thidias and orders him to try to win Cleopatra over,
telling her she can have everything she's asked for and more. If
Thidias succeeds, Caesar will give him anything he asks for.
Caesar also wants Thidias to watch Antony closely. Antony's
smallest action will reveal his feelings about having lost.
Analysis
Why does Antony send his children's schoolmaster to be his
ambassador to Caesar? As Dolabella notes, many of Antony's
influential supporters have abandoned him; perhaps he can't
find anyone willing to go.
In any case, it is not surprising that Dolabella bristles at the
gesture or that the Schoolmaster feels awkward in such a
position. "I was of late as petty to his ends / As is the morn-
dew on the myrtle-leaf / To his grand sea." Because Antony
has just lost a great sea battle, the Schoolmaster's comparison
is clumsy, but Caesar doesn't care. He now stands so high he
doesn't need to listen to other people's oratory.
At this point Caesar's rigidity makes it hard for him to think of
Antony as a human being. "For Antony, I have no ears to his
request." His five-line answer to the Schoolmaster Ambassador
sounds as though he is shrugging the whole matter off. After
all, the Ambassador will report to Antony, and Caesar wants
Antony to know how little he respects him.
What Caesar thinks of Cleopatra is less transparent. He has
always shown icy hatred to her; why is he negotiating terms
with her when he holds all the power? "From Antony win
Cleopatra. Promise, / And in our name, what she requires." He
may want to cause the lovers agony by forcibly separating
them, or forcing Cleopatra to choose between her lover and
her children's future; he may also want to pit the lovers against
each other, since Cleopatra now has good reason to betray
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Scene Summaries 31
Antony. But he has a hidden motive as well, which will be
revealed in the next act: he wants to exhibit Cleopatra as a
prisoner, and he may be pretending to honor her to prevent her
suicide. Audience members must make up their own minds; in
this play, Shakespeare does not provide his main characters
with obvious motives.
Act 3, Scene 13
Summary
A doleful and confused Cleopatra enters with Enobarbus,
Charmian, and Iras. "What shall we do?" Cleopatra asks
Enobarbus. "Think, and die," he answers. When Cleopatra asks
whether she or Antony is responsible for the defeat,
Enobarbus instantly answers that it is Antony. He didn't have to
follow Cleopatra; that he did is as shameful as the loss of the
battle.
The Ambassador and Antony enter. Antony is slowly taking in
Caesar's message that Cleopatra will be treated respectfully if
she gives Antony up. Turning to Cleopatra Antony explains all
she has to do to get everything back is to send Antony's head
to Caesar. Then he turns again to the Ambassador and says
he'll write Caesar a message daring him to fight him (Antony) in
single combat.
Enobarbus scoffs privately at the notion of Caesar's risking his
success to duel with a defeated foe. Antony's misfortune must
have impaired his judgment. Yet it would be dishonorable of
Enobarbus to abandon Antony now.
Thidias enters. After some verbal jousting with Cleopatra and
Enobarbus, he tells Cleopatra Caesar understands Cleopatra
consorted with Antony only because she was afraid of him, not
because she loved him. Caesar does not blame her for
behaving dishonorably. Cleopatra's answer is meek. Caesar "is
a god and knows what is most right." At this, Enobarbus leaves
to find Antony. Thidias asks if he can bring back the message
that Cleopatra has left Antony and placed herself under
Caesar's protection. Absolutely, answers Cleopatra. "I kiss his
conqu'ring hand." She then extends her own hand for Thidias
to kiss.
Antony and Enobarbus enter. Enraged, Antony orders his
servants to take Thidias away and beat him. He then
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide Scene Summaries 32

denounces Cleopatra: she's lower than a servant; she's a liar;
when Antony picked her up, she was a scrap, a leftover of
Julius Caesar's and Pompey's. Bewildered, Cleopatra asks why
Antony is so angry. He says by allowing Thidias to kiss her
hand—her hand that was Antony's "playfellow," she has
cuckolded him.
Servants drag in the beaten Thidias. Antony orders him to
return to Caesar and say exactly what Antony thinks of his
emperor. Thidias leaves, and Cleopatra coldly asks Antony if
he's done. In turn he asks if Cleopatra would abandon him to
ally herself with Caesar.
Cleopatra answers Antony doesn't know her if he believes she
would do what Caesar has requested. If she has betrayed
Antony, let heaven rain down punishments on her, on her son
Caesarion, indeed on all Egypt. Her words seem to revive
Antony, who pledges to return to fight Caesar. Before Antony
starts to fight again, he and Cleopatra will have one more
"gaudy night" together. This time Antony vows to kill more
people than Death itself. Everyone exits except Enobarbus,
who has seen enough. "I will seek some way to leave him," he
promises himself.
Cleopatra seems genuinely confused when Antony turns on
Thidias. Her confusion suggests she doesn't believe she has
betrayed her lover. Under normal circumstances, Antony's
harsh words could never be taken back. But Cleopatra doesn't
answer angrily or defensively, as she would be likely to do if
she understood what he is talking about; she doesn't seem to
register his taunts as insults. When Antony has finished ranting,
Cleopatra coldly asks, "Have you done yet?"
Cleopatra may be surrendering to Caesar out of fear, not
calculation. For all the audience knows, she falls apart if she
feels trapped; she also has her children's welfare to consider.
She may be pledging allegiance to Caesar because she has no
idea what else to do. Even Antony should forgive her for that.
Act 4, Scene 1
Summary
Caesar, Agrippa, and Maecenas enter. Antony's letter has
annoyed Caesar, partly because Antony treats him like a child
and partly because Antony ordered Thidias to be whipped.

Analysis Maecenas urges Caesar to calm down, saying anger impedes

success. Antony's own anger shows how trapped he feels;

Antony's treatment of Thidias is disgraceful. Usually genial, he's Caesar will gain advantage by keeping him angry and

never been less likeable than in this scene: a bad sport, a distracted.

blusterer, and a bully. However, his fury is aimed at Cleopatra,

Caesar orders Maecenas and Agrippa to get the word out that
not Thidias, just as Cleopatra's is aimed at Antony when she
tomorrow will be "the last of many battles we mean to fight."
"hales up and down" the messenger who brought the news
Antony's soldiers have defected to Caesar's side in such
about Octavia. The audience doesn't know how much of
numbers to make Caesar confident of victory. He orders a
Cleopatra's speech Antony has heard, but it's safe to assume
feast for the army: his army is so well-stocked with provisions
Enobarbus has given Antony the gist of the conversation.
that they can afford the "waste" of a celebration. Caesar's last
Whatever the circumstances, Antony is behaving badly.
words, ending the scene, are "Poor Antony."

Despite what she says, it is impossible to know what Cleopatra

is thinking or planning; the audience is given no indication of
her thought process. When she assures Thidias that Caesar "is
Analysis
a god and knows / What is most right," is she trying to buy
Caesar, usually calm and detached, is quite worked up—for
time, or has she decided to put herself under Caesar's
Caesar, that is. Antony's taunts sting, and they bother him
authority? What is the level of her calculation here? Enobarbus,
more than expected. Calling Antony an "old ruffian" is out of
who tolerates Cleopatra more than other Romans do, is
character for a man who prides himself on restraint. But when
convinced she's betraying Antony. If she is, then Antony's
Maecenas counsels him against anger, Caesar immediately
anger is easier to understand; nevertheless his treatment of
regains his self-control and laughs at Antony's challenge of
Thidias is still out of line.
hand-to-hand combat. In calming down, Caesar is able to spare
a moment of compassion for Antony, whom he knows he's

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Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
going to defeat.
This is another of the short scenes that function as battle
scenes in which leaders reveal their thoughts, plans, or
emotions and in which readers follow the course of the action.
In this case it seems as though Caesar's definitive victory will
occur the next day.
Act 4, Scene 2
Summary
Antony, Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Charmian, Iras, and "others"
enter. When Antony asks why Caesar has refused to fight him,
Enobarbus explains because Caesar has been so successful
he believes the duel would be unsportsmanlike, given his
greater power.
Antony vows to fight both by sea and by land the next day.
Either he'll win and live or, in dying, he'll restore his honor by
fighting bravely. He orders his household servants to prepare a
bounteous meal and thanks them for their loyalty by shaking
each man's hand. Puzzled by this gesture, Cleopatra asks
Enobarbus what Antony's behavior means: he explains that the
defeated man's sorrow makes him behave strangely.
Antony asks his servants to treat him at the feast as well as
they've done in happier times, although Enobarbus quietly
suggests that Antony is trying to make everyone weep.
Perhaps tonight will be the last time they see him, and the gods
will reward them. The servants are crying, and Enobarbus begs
Antony to stop such talk. "Transform us not to women," he
implores. Antony laughingly explains everyone's taking his
words the wrong way. He just wants people to have a good
time tonight. He expects to win the victory tomorrow, not to
win honor by dying.
Analysis
Enobarbus is correct when he tells Cleopatra that Antony is
trying to make his followers cry. So why does Antony pretend
his mournful farewells are just a joke? Why cause sorrow
rather than prepare for battle? Antony at least does snap out
of his own doldrums even though he may be spreading sorrow
throughout his household. These scenes seem to prepare for
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Scene Summaries 33
Antony's defeat—but will he be defeated in the next battle?
Ordering a feast parallels the previous scene in which Caesar
does the same thing. Whereas Caesar seems sure of victory
and may be trying to cement the loyalty of defectors from
Antony's forces by offering a banquet, Antony is replicating a
happy past with those who are still faithful to him. If Caesar's
feast is a welcome, Antony's is a farewell. Despite his talk of
winning, he knows his chances are slim.
Act 4, Scene 3
Summary
Some soldiers enter and settle themselves for the night watch.
One asks another if he's heard a strange rumor but won't say
aloud what it is.
As the soldiers discuss the next day's battle, they suddenly
hear music that seems to be rising from underground. One of
the soldiers asks if this is a good omen. No, answers another;
it's a sign Hercules, Antony's constant inspiration, is
abandoning him. The soldiers decide to find out whether other
night watchmen hear the music and leave the stage, worried at
this strange event.
Analysis
This is a mysterious scene, and it's hard to decipher
Shakespeare's intent, other than strong foreboding before the
final battle. If the soldiers hear the music, but the audience
does not: is it real or not? And why should music signify the
departure of Hercules? Is there a legend in which he is
accompanied by music?
Perhaps the men are sharing a musical hallucination inspired
by the rumors floating around the camp. Mass hysteria is often
triggered by rumors. It seems more likely, though, that
Shakespeare wrote this scene to give the audience a pleasant
shiver and a break from the war. In addition, ghosts, omens,
and eerie phenomena appealed to Elizabethan audiences, and
Shakespeare uses them to set the stage for important scenes
that determine what will happen to the characters or how the
play will end.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Act 4, Scene 4
Summary
Early the next morning Antony calls for Eros to bring his armor.
Cleopatra does her best to help Eros dress Antony for battle.
An armed soldier arrives and tells Antony a thousand other
armed men await him at the port. A captain arrives and says
the weather is good. Antony, either cheerful or pretending to
be, comments the morning looks fresh and promising, "like the
spirit of a youth / That means to be of note."
Antony kisses Cleopatra goodbye, saying he's leaving her "like
a man of steel." Urging his men to keep close, he leads them
away.
Left alone with Charmian, Cleopatra says, "He goes forth
gallantly." She adds if only the two generals were meeting in
single combat, "then Antony—but now—." She breaks off, afraid
to finish the sentence.
Analysis
This is a domestic scene with simple dialogue that could
almost be spoken today. Cleopatra's cheerful clumsiness with
Antony's armor is a gentle way of distracting them from the
reality that the battle's outcome does not look hopeful. A few
scenes ago Cleopatra was insisting she command her own
fleet of ships; now she seems determined to play the loving
wife who waits at home: Cleopatra is being a good sport. Yet
the scene has its own dramatic irony: the two lovers are most
likely pretending to be optimistic in order to cheer one another
up. While their language is simpler, they are still performing,
and this time, the performance prevents them from connecting
or taking comfort from one another.
Shakespeare portrays Antony's nervousness in his actions.
Although he tries to be patient with Cleopatra, his anxiety
keeps bubbling over. "Ah, let be, let be!" he cries as she
fumbles with his armor. "False, false. This, this!" On his way out
the door, he's almost chattering. "So, so.—Come, give me that.
This way. Well said."
Loyal Charmian is sensitive to her mistress's needs. "Please
you retire to your chamber?" she asks, knowing Cleopatra
probably wants nothing more than to collapse onto her bed.
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Scene Summaries 34
Portraying a bustling, optimistic wife would be a strain at any
time for Cleopatra; it is far greater when little reason for
optimism exists.
Act 4, Scene 5
Summary
As Antony and Eros head for the port, Antony admits regret
over not having fought on land. A soldier meets them and
breaks the news Enobarbus has left Antony's service for
Caesar's. Hearing Enobarbus has left his possessions and
treasure behind, Antony orders everything belonging to
Enobarbus be sent to him, along with a letter containing "gentle
adieus and greetings" and with the wish Enobarbus will never
again feel the need to serve another master. Then he cries out
his bad luck has corrupted even honorable men.
Analysis
Antony's change in demeanor makes him more sympathetic
than he was in the last act. Coping with the loss at Actium has
brought out unexpected grace and now shows him as a highly
honorable individual and loyal friend despite the
circumstances. The most well-adjusted general might be upset
to learn his aide-de-camp has deserted. But Antony's
instinctive reaction is to take care of his friend. "O, my fortunes
have / Corrupted honest men," he sighs, holding himself
responsible for the latest defection. This is the way a
commander should act, and Antony's actions redeem him here,
although they come too late to save him.
Act 4, Scene 6
Summary
Caesar orders Agrippa to begin the fight and to capture
Antony alive if possible. As Agrippa leaves, Caesar exults, "The
time of universal peace is near." When a messenger arrives to
say Antony's army is on the field, Caesar tells Agrippa to
position in the front lines all the soldiers who have deserted
Antony. This placement will make Antony feel as though he is
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
fighting himself.
Everyone leaves but Enobarbus, feeling regret about both his
safety and his honor. Antony's lieutenant Alexas has deserted
and persuaded King Herod also to follow Caesar, and what
happened? Caesar had Alexas hanged. Enobarbus knows he's
done wrong in leaving Antony's service and feels even worse
when one of Caesar's soldiers enters and tells him Antony has
had Enobarbus's treasure shipped to him. Heartbroken
Enobarbus knows he has deserted a great man. "I fight against
thee [Antony]? No." Instead, he'll find a ditch to die in.
Analysis
Caesar's coldhearted plan to put Antony's deserters in the
front lines forces Enobarbus to reflect on the bad choice he
has made by leaving Antony. Not only has he let himself down,
he's now serving a commander who welcomes deserters into
his ranks and then uses them as metaphorical cannon fodder,
as well as psychological torture for Antony. Enobarbus's
statement "I will joy no more" and his exaggerated collapse into
"I'm worthless" mode may seem generic, but Shakespeare
needs to pave the way for a death scene. Enobarbus is a good
character, but he has served his purpose. His remorse over a
decision he considers wrong drives him to death rather than
seeing it through and fighting.
Act 4, Scene 7
Summary
Against a background of battle noises, Agrippa enters with
some of Caesar's soldiers and calls for retreat. Caesar is
struggling; Antony's army is fiercer than expected. Caesar's
men exit, replaced by Antony and Scarus. Though wounded,
Scarus is elated. If they'd fought this way in the first battle
against Caesar, they would have sent Caesar's men home in
bandages.
Eros enters and announces Caesar's men are beaten for the
moment, and Antony's chances look good. Scarus says
Antony's men should follow them as they retire from the field.
Antony promises to reward Scarus for his bravery and
encouragement.
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Scene Summaries 35
Analysis
In short scenes like this one, Shakespeare has made every
word count. Caesar's army is in retreat; the fighters have
overextended themselves; Caesar himself is struggling; and
Antony's forces are stronger than expected. In his brief
update—a scant 16 words—Agrippa manages to communicate
so much that an actual scene of the two armies fighting is
unnecessary. The battle sounds in the background create the
illusion of battle taking place just outside the line of sight.
Scarus's mention of his H-shaped wound seems startling: it's
almost childish, and perhaps even comical. But it is the kind of
detail a wounded soldier would notice. And what a precise
image it conveys! The audience is certain to understand the
nature of the wound immediately. Once again, this economy of
language and stagecraft spares the director the necessity of
managing fake blood.
Act 4, Scene 8
Summary
Antony, Scarus, and some others enter. Antony's army has
forced Caesar's to retreat to their camp. Antony orders a
soldier to bear the good news to Cleopatra. Then he delivers a
speech of praise to the soldiers, saying they've fought like
Hector, leader of the Trojan army.
Cleopatra enters; she's heard the good news. Antony tells her
to let Scarus, hero of the hour, kiss her hand. Cleopatra
promises Scarus a suit of armor made of gold, and Antony
says Scarus deserves gold armor studded with rubies. He
orders his army to make as much noise as possible while they
parade triumphantly through Alexandria.
Analysis
At this moment in Act 4, Antony's chances look good, but a
17th-century audience would be familiar with Roman history
and thus would know the play's ending. No matter how much
he draws out the suspense—and Act 4 is indeed
suspenseful—Shakespeare had no need to fool the audience
into thinking Antony would win. However, modern readers and
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
audiences might be less enlightened.
Antony's pride and excitement function almost like a scrim
here, giving extra poignancy to what the audience knows is a
foregone conclusion. Shakespeare's language also provides
hints of the darker fate awaiting Antony.
Antony promises the following morning, "we'll spill the blood
that has today escaped." He's referring to the blood of the
enemies who have managed to get away unscathed. But he
is also unknowingly predicting the fate of his own army; the
words "we'll spill all the blood" have a double meaning.
Today Antony's soldiers, too, have escaped; tomorrow, it's
the blood from their own bodies that will spill.
Antony tells his men they have fought as bravely as Hector,
the most famous warrior of the Trojan War described in The
Iliad. But despite his military brilliance, Hector is killed, and
his body suffers the shame of lying outside the gates of
Troy for 12 days before it's allowed to be buried.
Cleopatra tells brave Scarus she'll reward him with a suit of
gold armor that belonged to a king. Can she be referring to
her own brother, the boy-king Ptolemy who drowned in the
Nile while wearing a golden suit of armor? Perhaps not—but
Ptolemy's drowning, and that suit of armor, would likely
come to mind for Shakespeare's audience.
Once again Antony reveals ambivalence about his age. Though
his brown hair is mixed with gray, he says, his brain and
experience outmatch those of a younger man. Simply
mentioning his age at such a triumphant moment shows being
old is never off his mind.
Antony all but commands Scarus to kiss Cleopatra's hand in
this scene—an uncomfortable echo of the earlier scene in
which he has Thidias flogged for doing the same thing. It's
almost as if he's saying, "I'm the one who decides whether her
hand gets kissed." Kissing the hand of the Queen doesn't
necessarily bring good luck.
Act 4, Scene 9
Summary
A sentry from Caesar's army enters with other guards.
Enobarbus follows them unnoticed. The sentry says that
unless he and the other watchmen can be relieved within the
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Scene Summaries 36
hour, they'll have to return to the spot where the other guards
are gathered. The next stage of battle is supposed to begin the
next morning.
The sentry and his men are startled when Enobarbus suddenly
speaks, asking the moon to witness his repentance for
deserting Antony. If only the moon, "sovereign mistress of true
melancholy," would send a poison through the air to kill him! If
only Antony could forgive him! "O Antony! O Antony!" he cries
out—and dies on the spot.
Thinking Enobarbus has only fainted—and wanting to hear
anything he might say concerning Caesar—the guards try,
unsuccessfully, to rouse him. The sentry announces the death,
but another watchman thinks he may still be alive. They carry
him off, planning to bring him to back to camp.
Analysis
Antony and Cleopatra features few soliloquies (and none by
Cleopatra), but this scene does include a soliloquy from
Enobarbus. For a modern reader, however, it may not have the
dramatic effect Shakespeare intended.
Enobarbus is given to poetic language, so he is in character
when he suddenly begins to address the moon—in character,
but perhaps out of place in the scene. The sentry and his
company have been talking in short, functional sentences
about war logistics when they are interrupted by Enobarbus's
poetic apostrophe: "O, bear me witness, night—." They are
trying to decide whether to return to camp, and now here is
Enobarbus declaiming to the moon. Contrasting prosaic
characters with a poetic speech takes a lot of the dignity and
dramatic effect away.
The modern reader may also doubt anyone could actually die
of shame and grief, as Enobarbus appears to do. His death
merits authorial attention—but if he is going to die,
Shakespeare doesn't have much choice about how to kill him
off. Enobarbus can't be killed in battle: he's a deserter, and it's
too noble a death. He can't commit suicide; that's reserved for
Antony and Cleopatra. Because he is not crucial to the action
of the play, his death scene shouldn't be too long. And yet he's
an important enough character that the scene needs a little
something extra. Thus Shakespeare gives him a soliloquy in
this slightly ridiculous setting.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Act 4, Scene 10
Summary
Antony, Scarus, and their army enter. Antony comments
today's battle will be by sea because Caesar's army fared so
poorly on land. He wishes the situation were otherwise, but the
sea battle has already been ordered. Antony takes up a spot
from which he'll be able to watch the ships.
Analysis
This very short scene contains an interesting reference to the
four elements. Ancient Greeks believed all matter was
composed of four elements: earth, water, fire, and air. This
notion existed for centuries and was certainly still around in
Shakespeare's time. When Antony says, "I would they'd fight
i'th'fire or I'th'air," he is referring to the second pair of elements.
He and Caesar have already fought by land and sea (earth and
water); if their battle were to extend to fire and air, Antony
would be glad to fight them there as well.
Antony's observation comes at a moment in which he may be
worried about the upcoming sea battle. He knows all too well
Caesar's navy is better than his. Perhaps his mind takes refuge
in the idea of fighting in fantasy settings that would be new to
both armies; perhaps he also wishes he could simply take
refuge from the next few hours. "But this it is," he continues
tersely. It's a 17th-century way of saying "It is what it is."
Whether or not Antony's navy is at a disadvantage, the battle
will be fought at sea.
Act 4, Scene 11
Summary
Caesar tells his army Antony expects a sea battle and has
therefore manned his ships with his best fighters. It is unlikely
Caesar's army will be attacked by land at all. "To the vales
[valleys]," he orders his men. There the will find the best
strategic spots they can.
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Scene Summaries 37
Analysis
If anyone in the audience still thought Antony had a chance,
this short scene makes it clear he is doomed. In Scene 10
Antony's prebattle speech is about wishing things were
otherwise; then he settles down to observe the fight from afar.
By contrast, Caesar is practical and canny. He has already
guessed Antony's battle strategy. More important, however, he
is with his army—not watching them from afar. He will be on the
spot if needed. He is thinking more clearly than Antony at this
point and is fully engaged in the action.
Act 4, Scene 12
Summary
Antony and Scarus enter. Wondering why Caesar's navy hasn't
begun fighting, Antony looks for a better vantage point. Left by
himself Scarus worries about the swallow nests in the sails of
Cleopatra's ships. Is it a lucky or unlucky sign the birds have
built them there? The soothsayers aren't talking. Meanwhile,
says Scarus, Antony alternates between courage and despair
depending on how the battle is going.
Antony returns from his lookout point and announces all is lost.
His fleet has surrendered, and are celebrating the battle's end.
Cleopatra, "this foul Egyptian," must have betrayed him. He
orders Scarus to tell the land army to retreat; once he has
avenged his cause by killing Cleopatra, there will be nothing
left for him to do.
Alone, Antony mourns he will never again see a sunrise.
"Fortune and Antony part here." His followers have abandoned
him, and Cleopatra has been false. How could Cleopatra do
this to him? All he cared about was pleasing her!
Cleopatra enters, and Antony shouts at her to leave.
Astonished, Cleopatra asks why. Antony orders her away
unless she wants him to kill her. Caesar can have her! He can
display her as a captive, and "patient Octavia" can tear
Cleopatra's face with her fingernails.
Cleopatra flees, leaving Antony to rail against her. If only he
had killed her earlier, these other deaths could have been
prevented! But now, let his ancestor Alcides guide him in his
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
rage. "The witch shall die"—she's sold him to Caesar.
Analysis
Having ignored advice from loyal and experienced advisors,
Antony must suffer the consequences of defeat. As his
followers desert him, he must confront his fury and remorse
alone. He is completely vanquished not only militarily but
emotionally and personally as well. His humiliation brings him to
the only end for a Roman in such a defeat: suicide.
He rages at Cleopatra for betraying him, "Triple-turned whore!
Tis thou / Hast sold me to this novice, and my heart / Makes
only wars on thee" and bitterly regrets having been so devoted
to her. Having persisted with his ill-advised plans, he can direct
his rage at Cleopatra, knowing he himself is most at fault. The
dignity and self-awareness he displayed earlier are nowhere to
be seen here.
Act 4, Scene 13
Summary
Cleopatra enters with her female attendants and Mardian. She
begs their help against Antony's insane fury. Charmian
suggests she hide in "the monument"—the tomb Cleopatra has
already had built for herself. "There lock yourself," says
Charmian, "and send him word you are dead." Cleopatra seizes
on this suggestion. "To th'monument!—Mardian, go tell him I
have slain myself. / Say that the last I spoke was 'Antony.'"
Analysis
Ancient Egyptian rulers built their tombs in advance of their
deaths, but it is unclear what is meant by "monument" here. For
staging purposes Cleopatra's monument must fulfil three
dramatic requirements:
Cleopatra and her attendants will be safe there;
There's a window to which a dying Antony can be raised by
three women without being further injured;
Soldiers can enter without difficulty.
What kind of real-world structure could meet these conditions?
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Scene Summaries 38
Many imaginary images exist, but none seem to work in this
play. Perhaps the monument's exterior is rarely shown onstage
for this reason.
In earlier scenes Cleopatra has compared Antony to Hercules,
the strongest man in mythological history. Here her two
mythological references are more frightening. According to
Ovid's Metamorphoses, Telamonian Ajax fought so valiantly in
the Trojan War he expected the shield of Achilles as a reward.
Denied it, and the accompanying honor, he used his sword to
stab himself to death. Capturing the boar of Thessaly was one
of the 12 labors of Hercules, who chased it through the snow
before trapping it. In this allusion, Cleopatra compares Antony
to an exhausted, cornered animal.
Cleopatra's situation is desperate, but even in the middle of her
terror she manages one more typical Cleopatra performance:
ordering Mardian to tell Antony she's dead "and bring me
[news of] how he takes my death." It's not clear why she does
this: she may be hoping that news of her death will calm
Antony's rage, or she may simply relish the drama.
But even during a moment of supreme crisis, Cleopatra is
interested in Antony's reaction to her performance. She wants
Antony to believe she hasn't betrayed him, but this lie itself is a
betrayal. By the time it occurs to Cleopatra the trick may be a
bad idea, it will be too late.
Act 4, Scene 14
Summary
Alone with Eros, Antony describes different cloud shapes.
Sometimes they look like dragons, sometimes like rocks,
sometimes like trees. They are like pageants put on by the
evening sky.
Antony describes the way a cloud can look like a horse one
moment and float away until it cannot be seen. "Eros, now thy
captain is even such a body." He is still Antony, and yet he has
become someone completely different. His reality has turned
out as insubstantial as a cloud. He fought these battles for
Cleopatra, and she has betrayed him. Now all Antony has left is
the chance to take his own life.
Mardian enters, and Antony denounces his "vile lady." Mardian
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
says Antony is wrong: Cleopatra loved him totally. Antony
snaps he'll have her put to death, but Mardian says she's
already dead. What Antony wanted to do to her, she has done
to herself, and her last words were of Antony.
Antony orders Eros to remove his armor. It has been a long
day, and now they must sleep. He reminds his lieutenant he
once promised to kill Antony if circumstances became
desperate enough. That time has now come, and Eros must
carry out his promise.
Eros draws back, but Antony insists. Surely Eros can't bear the
thought of Antony being brought captive to Rome and being
pulled behind triumphant Caesar's chariot? Killing him is the
only way to prevent that disgrace. Now Eros seems to agree
and asks for the chance to say farewell. Antony agrees almost
impatiently. Eros responds, "Farewell, great chief"—and stabs
himself to death.
Antony can only think, once again, he has been "out-nobled."
Cleopatra and Eros have shown greater courage than he
himself could muster. Now, though, he will follow their example.
He stabs himself but doesn't succeed in dying. He calls for
guards to finish him off, but they refuse. Dercetus, one of the
guards, takes Antony's sword: if he brings it to Caesar, the
Emperor will reward him.
Diomedes enters. Again Antony begs for death, but Diomedes
tells him Cleopatra is alive and hiding in the monument. After
sending Antony the false report of her death, Cleopatra
suddenly realized the news might cause him to commit suicide.
She sent Diomedes to tell Antony the truth, but he has arrived
too late. "Too late," Antony agrees, and asks for guards to
carry him to the monument. "I have led you oft; carry me now,
good friends."
Analysis
By Roman standards of honor, Antony is doing the right thing
in committing suicide. He is confident killing himself is the
proper step to take and doesn't dread death. The notion of
death, therefore, seems less tragic in this scene than does
Antony's staggering loss of identity and his complete
exhaustion.
Although he is not wounded physically, Anthony already seems
at the point of death. "Eros, thou yet behold'st me?" he asks.
So undone by his loss, Antony barely can believe he still has a
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Scene Summaries 39
discrete shape. To himself, he feels as "indistinct as water is in
water"—a precise and striking image, especially because
Antony's doom came by sea. His reference to "black vesper's
pageants" is striking as well. Clouds are usually observed
during daylight hours, but for Antony night is closing in fast.
Antony is too weak even to summon the energy to scold
Mardian properly. To the messenger from the woman Antony
believes betrayed him, all he can muster up is "Hence, saucy
eunuch! Peace!" When Mardian reports Cleopatra has died,
Antony's first thought is "The long day's task is done, And we
must sleep." Of course he's speaking symbolically. By "sleep"
he means "die." Yet the impression he gives is of a man so
exhausted that only his armor keeps him upright.
Adding to the pathos in Antony's situation is the difficulty in
arranging his next course of action. Although he is resolved to
die, he feels unable to kill himself. Long ago, he reminds Eros,
the lieutenant promised to kill Antony if he ever reached the
point of "th'inevitable prosecution of disgrace and horror." But
any soldier in ancient Rome would probably interpret these
words to mean this terrible service would be required only if
Antony were too impaired to kill himself. If he were on the point
of certain capture or so gravely wounded to be unable to draw
his own sword, then Eros would need to kill him. As matters
now stand, Antony is perfectly able to manage the deed
himself.
And when Eros's own suicide forces Antony to perform the act
himself, he bungles the job. "O, make an end of what I have
begun!" he implores his guards; when they refuse, he makes
the same request of Diomedes. Only then does Antony learn
he's made a botched attempt on behalf of a woman who isn't
even dead herself and who has lied to him once again. He is in
such pain it doesn't occur to him to wonder why Cleopatra
pretended to be dead in the first place. The fumbling and
awkwardness reinforce the pathos of the situation: here is a
man who saw himself as godlike, unable even to die gracefully
and well.
Antony's dialogue throughout this scene is so moving it may
mask the highly punitive nature of the Roman concept of
honor. Shakespeare makes Antony's point of view seem
compelling and reasonable, but is he really called upon to kill
himself because he lost the battle? According to Roman
standards, yes: death is better than shame.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Act 4, Scene 15
Summary
Cleopatra and her retinue wait fearfully in the monument for
Diomedes to return. When he arrives, he tells Cleopatra to look
out of the other side of the monument: there she'll see Antony
with his guards. "I am dying, Egypt, dying," says Antony, and
asks her to come to him so he can kiss her one last time.
Cleopatra will not leave the building for fear of being captured.
She'll never allow Caesar to claim her as an ornament to show
off. Octavia will never have the chance to look at Cleopatra
and gloat. Desperately she calls her ladies, and they begin to
haul Antony up into the monument. "Quick," warns Antony, "or I
am gone." Finally, and with great effort, they get Antony aloft to
Cleopatra. She kisses him, saying that if kissing had the power
to bring him back to life, she would kiss him until her lips wore
out.
Antony asks for wine and the chance to "speak a little." He
counsels Cleopatra to seek safety with Caesar and to trust
none of Caesar's followers except Proculeius. Cleopatra
answers she'll trust only her strength of will and her hands.
Antony then asks her not to grieve over what he has become
but to remember him when he was "the greatest prince o'th'
world." Now he is dying honorably—"a Roman by a Roman
valiantly vanquished."
Seeing her lover is dead, Cleopatra faints. When she revives,
she tells her ladies she's no longer an empress but an ordinary
woman. While Antony lived, Earth was as marvelous as the
realm of the gods; now that the gods have "stolen our jewel,"
nothing is left. "Our lamp is spent; it's out." It's time to bury
Antony and then die "after the high Roman fashion"—by
suicide.
Analysis
One of Shakespeare's most famous lines, which he uses twice
in this scene, is Antony's "I am dying, Egypt, dying." These five
words, two of them the same, are among the most memorable
in Shakespeare's works and reward close study.
For one thing, the message is direct and straightforward.
Antony hasn't always been this blunt. Yet the phrasing of the
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Scene Summaries 40
sentence turns it into poetry. The line cannot be rephrased
without losing its effectiveness. Consider how much weaker it
becomes when the word Cleopatra replaces "Egypt" By
composing the line this way and repeating the word dying,
Shakespeare produces an almost songlike rhythm that twice
stresses the word die.
When Antony asks Cleopatra to come down and kiss him, her
reply (which features even more repetition) lacks the poetic
precision. "I dare not, dear, / Dear my lord, pardon, I dare not, /
Lest I be taken." Her words are equally direct. She's not putting
on a performance—at least not with those lines. True, she
follows them with a lofty speech about Caesar and Rome in
which, once again, she becomes the center of attention. It's a
short speech, though, and for the remainder of the scene,
Cleopatra's attention is focused on Antony.
This scene between Antony and Cleopatra contrasts directly
with the couple's first appearance in Act 1, Scene 1. Clearly
conscious of their audience in Scene 1, they expressed their
love in grand style. It was almost as if they were saying, "We
hope someone is writing all this down." In this later scene
Charmian and Iras are still in the room, yet Antony and
Cleopatra seem unaware of their presence. They love each
other, and both know this is their last conversation; they don't
waste a word.
Just after Antony has died, Cleopatra stops thinking of herself
as an empress. Within seconds she seems to transform into a
new person, plain spoken and resolute. Her words to Charmian
and Iras, "Our lamp is spent; it's out. Good sirs, take heart,"
make her sound as if she were putting on Roman armor and
will die an honorable Roman death.
Act 5, Scene 1
Summary
Caesar, Agrippa, Dolabella, Maecenas, Gallus, and Proculeius
are holding a war council when Dercetus arrives with Antony's
sword. Dercetus tells them Antony is dead; if Caesar wishes,
Dercetus will serve him as well as he once served Antony.
Caesar is appalled at the news. Antony was more than a
person; he represented half the world! Although the world
wasn't large enough to hold the two rivals, Antony nonetheless
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
was like a brother and "my mate in empire." Caesar's
companions, too, are shocked and saddened.
An Egyptian man enters, sent by Cleopatra to ask Caesar how
she should prepare herself to serve him. Caesar bids
Proculeius visit the Queen and assure her they "purpose her no
shame." Keep her calm, Caesar advises, and don't do anything
that might cause her to kill herself! Being able to display the
captive Cleopatra to the Romans would bring Caesar eternal
triumph.
Analysis
This is the first time Caesar's shell of icy rectitude seems to
crack. Caesar's words serve as a reminder of how great
Antony once was. He is already a diminished figure by the time
the play begins, so the emotions aroused by his death lie
mostly in the suggestion that a broken man is finally going to
rest. By the time Antony dies, it is hard to remember he was
"one of the triple pillars of Rome," especially since, in the play,
he spent little time governing or in Rome. But for Caesar,
another of the triple pillars, Antony's passing is a striking blow
not only to himself but to the entire world order. It would be
impossible for Antony and Cleopatra to include scenes from
Antony's earlier life during his years of glory; the play is
sprawling enough as it is. But readers may feel a pang at never
having seen the protagonist at his height.
An indication of Caesar's rattled state at hearing of Antony's
death is his having forgotten he sent Dolabella to speak to
Antony before he heard about it. When his staff calls for the
lieutenant, Caesar suddenly remembers where Dolabella is.
Antony's death marks the first time Caesar shows even the
slightest doubt he acted correctly. Until now he has been
certain he was right. Now he suddenly seems to need to prove
it. Caesar can think only of showing his followers the letters
Antony has sent and trying to justify himself: "You shall see /
How hardly I was drawn into this war, / How calm and gentle I
proceeded still / In all my writings." He may be worried others
will judge him harshly or troubled he might have been able to
prevent the death of this former hero. Although there is no way
to know the reasons, this stern man's sudden loss of
confidence is striking.
Furthermore, no one in this play is all good or all bad. As
Caesar reels from the news about Antony, his sudden
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Scene Summaries 41
vulnerability makes him seem more likable. At the same time,
however, he does not waver from his plan to exhibit the
captured Cleopatra in public. In addressing the Egyptian man,
Caesar reveals nothing but tender concern for the Queen's
welfare. He may fool the Egyptian; he may even fool the
audience. But he still wants his allies and enemies to fear him.
Act 5, Scene 2
Summary
Inside the monument, Cleopatra tells Charmian and Iras
Caesar has no control over their fate. True control of one's
fortune lies in suicide, the deed "that ends all deeds."
Proculeius enters and says Caesar is waiting to hear legitimate
requests she may have. Cleopatra asks that her son be
allowed to rule the now-conquered Egypt. Proculeius, whom
Antony advised Cleopatra to trust, assures her Caesar will
gladly be merciful as long as Cleopatra accepts him as a
leader. Cleopatra's reply is meek and chastened. Caesar is the
master, and she's schooling herself in obedience to him. As
Proculeius begins a kindly answer, Gallus and other soldiers
rush in and seize Cleopatra, ordering she be held prisoner until
Caesar arrives.
Cleopatra draws out a dagger and prepares to stab herself,
but Proculeius grabs the weapon before she can use it.
Cleopatra swears to him she'll do anything to "ruin this mortal
house," her own body. She'll never allow herself to be kept
captive for Romans to gawk at. It would be better to die stark
naked in the mud of the Nile; it would be better to be hanged
on one of the pyramids. Dolabella enters and says he'll take
charge of Cleopatra. As Proculeius leaves, the Queen once
more orders him to tell Caesar all she wants is death.
Dolabella and Cleopatra are alone now. Cleopatra asks him to
interpret a dream she had about Antony. The man in her dream
was all powerful; his legs straddled the ocean and his arm
waved over the whole world. He was endlessly gracious to his
friends, but to enemies his voice was like thunder. Whole
kingdoms meant nothing more to him than coins falling out of
someone's pocket. Does Dolabella believe there could ever be
a man like that? But Dolabella isn't there to talk about Antony.
Assuring Cleopatra he shares her grief, he confides Caesar
does indeed plan to parade her through the streets of Rome.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Before Cleopatra can answer, Caesar and his lieutenants
enter. Caesar (falsely) promises he has forgiven her offenses
against him. If she will obey him, he will treat her kindly. But if
she tries to kill herself, she will make Caesar look bad, and her
children will suffer for it.
Still affecting meekness, Cleopatra gives Caesar a list of her
possessions, saying they now belong to him. When her own
treasurer tells Caesar Cleopatra is holding back a vast quantity
of treasure, the Emperor claims to admire Cleopatra's
canniness. Cleopatra feigns shame as she apologizes; all she
wanted, she says, was to keep a few trinkets and some gifts
for Caesar's wife and Octavia. Again Caesar pretends not to
mind. She can keep everything of hers! He's going to treat her
as a friend! She can settle her arrangements any way she likes!
On this note Caesar and his men leave—and Cleopatra stops
pretending to grovel. She whispers something to Charmian and
orders her to hurry. As Charmian exits, Dolabella returns.
Caesar, he says, is going to send her and her children through
Syria before three days have passed.
A Countryman suddenly appears and pesters the guards to let
him deliver a basket of figs. Several poisonous asps are hidden
under the fruit. Before he leaves, the Countryman and
Cleopatra converse about snakes. Then Cleopatra orders her
ladies to dress her in all her majesty. She is on her way to meet
Antony. As happened with Enobarbus, Iras suddenly dies from
overwhelming emotion. Cleopatra uses two of the snakes to kill
herself, and Charmian follows with a third snake. When Caesar
and his men arrive at the mausoleum, they find the three
women dead. Shaken, Caesar promises that Antony and
Cleopatra will be buried together amid great solemnity.
Analysis
The final scene of the play brings the characterization of
Cleopatra to its highest point of eloquence and imagery. At the
beginning of the play she entered on the arm of Antony as they
spoke of their love and passion in terms special to them. Now
at the end she must find a way to fulfill her own vision of unity
and devotion to him while still controlling her destiny and the
image others have of her.
Throughout the play Cleopatra has demonstrated
contradictory qualities and impulses. She is unpredictable and
fluid, loyal and treacherous; she has shown great heights and
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Quotes 42
depths of passion and scorn, rarely the same woman from one
minute to the next. And her greatness manifests in her last act:
she will die with her loyal companions, finding a way to show
dominance and selfhood in the face of the greatest loss. Her
final role is one that she, not the conquering Caesar, chooses
for her.
While Antony is in all ways memorable and affecting as a
character lost in his own errors and weaknesses, Cleopatra's
independence and dominance are more important than her life.
Caesar will bring her back as a captive, foreign presence to
Rome and parade her imprisoned in front of dirty smelly
masses, as she disgustedly imagines them. Having lost on land
and sea, she will find another element to join Antony outside of
mortal time, she hopes. Her "immoral longings" serve her well in
the final scene: she is able to preserve both her image and her
liberty in her suicide.
The stolid figure of Caesar contrasts sharply with her. All he
can do at the last pages of the play is to count and view the
dead bodies, whose sacrifice he seems, at least in part, to
admire. He rightly promises their funeral rites will be attended
by the Roman soldiers, and afterward he must go back to lead
the Empire, as is his destiny. He aspires to be a great Emperor,
and Shakespeare knew he would become one. Antony and
Cleopatra will not be forgotten, but their story is written, while
Caesar's is not yet over.
g Quotes
"And you shall see in him The triple
pillar of the world transformed Into
a strumpet's fool."
— Philo, Act 1, Scene 1
A conversation between Philo and Demetrius, two men in
Antony's retinue, begins this play. Philo is saying Antony's love
for Cleopatra has turned him into a fool and stripped him of his
martial dignity. Antony, says Philo, is one of the three most
powerful men in the world, but he's given up everything to dally
with a whore. This comment reflects the Romans' opinion of
Antony's behavior.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
"Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the
wide arch Of the ranged empire
fall; here is my space."
— Antony, Act 1, Scene 1
A Roman messenger has been trying to get Antony's attention,
but Antony ignores him. Rome—indeed, the whole Roman
Empire—means nothing to him now, he says. His place is here,
with Cleopatra. Who cares about messengers? The attitude
confirms Philo's observation that Antony cares for Cleopatra
much more than for Rome.
"Eternity was in our lips and in our
eyes."
— Cleopatra, Act 1, Scene 3
Cleopatra speaks this poignant line during a quarrel with
Antony, who has just told her he must leave for Rome. She
believes, or pretends to believe, his reason for the trip is to see
his wife again. Here she reminds Antony of the blissful world
they used to share before Antony turned into such a heartless
deceiver.
"My salad days, When I was green
in judgment, cold in blood."
— Cleopatra, Act 1, Scene 5
Cleopatra's maid has just reminded her she used to love Julius
Caesar as much as she claims to love Antony now. Cleopatra
scoffs at the comment, saying she was much too young to
know what love was. "Salad days" is a wonderful example of
Shakespeare's gift for coining new expressions.
"Age cannot wither her, nor
custom stale Her infinite variety.
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Quotes 43
Other women cloy The appetites
they feed, but she makes hungry
Where most she satisfies."
— Enobarbus, Act 2, Scene 2
Antony's aide, Enobarbus, is trying to explain what makes
Cleopatra uniquely lovable and continually desirable. His tribute
not only describes Cleopatra perfectly; it also shows how
closely Enobarbus shares Antony's thoughts. Many Roman
soldiers despise Cleopatra, but Enobarbus understands why
Antony is obsessed with her. Her unpredictable nature makes
her continually appealing and leaves her lovers wanting more,
unlike other women who become boring.
"Ah, this thou shouldst have done
And not have spoke on 't! In me 'tis
villainy ... Being done unknown, I
should have found it afterwards
well done, But must condemn it
now."
— Pompey, Act 2, Scene 7
Pompey must reject Menas's offer to kill Lepidus, Antony, and
Caesar, not because he is appalled by it but because it would
be dishonorable to condone it once he knows of it. Had Menas
done the act, Pompey would have approved, but he is more
concerned with the perception of honor than by the substance
of it.
"Celerity is never more admired
Than by the negligent."
— Cleopatra, Act 3, Scene 7
A barbed rebuke to the speed at which Caesar crossed the
Ionian Sea and captured the Greek city of Toryne, Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
belittles Antony's enemies, also reflecting her own more
Eastern inclinations that do not value hasty actions.
"Egypt, thou knew'st too well My
heart was to thy rudder tied by
th'strings And thou shouldst tow
me after."
— Antony, Act 3, Scene 11
The battle is over, and Rome has won. When Cleopatra's ship
fled the fighting, Antony went after her, throwing his navy into
confusion. He is remonstrating with her here: she should have
realized he had no choice but to follow her, such is her power
over him.
"I found you as a morsel cold upon
Dead Caesar's trencher."
— Antony, Act 3, Scene 13
These are the cruelest words Antony says to Cleopatra in the
entire play. He has just found one of Caesar's messengers,
Thidias, kissing Cleopatra's hand. Antony jumps to the
conclusion Cleopatra has sold him out. Here he's calling her a
leftover of Julius Caesar with whom she had a previous affair
and a son.
"I am dying, Egypt, dying."
— Antony, Act 4, Scene 15
In trying to commit suicide, Antony has managed only to give
himself a mortal wound. This at least gives him a few minutes
to say goodbye to Cleopatra in one of the most memorable
farewell lines Shakespeare ever wrote.
"The odds is gone, And there is
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Quotes 44
nothing left remarkable Beneath
the visiting moon."
— Cleopatra, Act 4, Scene 15
Antony has just died, and Cleopatra's world has been
extinguished. Everything has become flat and ordinary, and
every person is just like every other person—no one unique is
left on Earth. The transience of the moon makes the world
even more desolate.
"The breaking of so great a thing
should make A greater crack."
— Caesar, Act 5, Scene 1
Caesar has just learned Antony has committed suicide.
Although they have been enemies recently, he is shocked by
the news; he is shocked, too, that the world seems untouched
by Antony's death. Why hasn't such a devastating loss caused
the earth to crack open? The statement reveals Caesar's
respect for Antony—to some degree, he shares in the lovers'
feeling that they are larger than life and their actions are of
divine significance—and prepares for somewhat of a change in
his attitude toward Antony and Cleopatra.
"Antony Shall be brought drunken
forth, and I shall see Some
squeaking Cleopatra boy my
greatness I'th'posture of a whore."
— Cleopatra, Act 5, Scene 2
This is Cleopatra's terrible—and no doubt accurate—vision of
what will happen if she stays alive. Caesar will bring her to
Rome to show her off, and she'll be forced to watch as comic
actors portray her and Antony for the delight of the crowds.
"Boy my greatness" refers to the fact that in Shakespeare's
day, boy actors were used to play women's parts; there were
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide Symbols 45

no female actors.
"Give me my robe. Put on my
crown. I have Immortal longings in
me. Now no more The juice of
Egypt's grape shall moist this lip."
— Cleopatra, Act 5, Scene 2
Cleopatra expresses her acceptance of and control over her
death in a particularly lyrical way by dressing and readying
herself for immortality, as she views the afterlife. As much as
she has loved ruling Egypt and the life she has led, now her eye
is on being with her beloved forever, as she expects will
happen.
the foremost soldier of his earlier days, is tortured by the
memory of how poorly Caesar fought in earlier battles. "He at
Philippi kept / His sword e'en like a dancer, while I struck / The
lean and wrinkled Cassius" (Act 4, Scene 11). The younger man
never unsheathed his sword, instead treating it like the
ornamental swords worn to dances. Antony's misery at defeat
is compounded by being beaten by a cowardly swordsman.
The memory of wearing Antony's sword still thrills Cleopatra.
"Next morn, / Ere the ninth hour, I drunk him to his bed, / Then
put my [clothes] and mantles on him, whilst I wore his sword
Philippan" (Act 2, Scene 5). She tells the story to amuse her
ladies-in-waiting but sees it as more than a joke. Cleopatra
longs to control Antony and becomes enraged when she
doesn't succeed. Of course it's funny that she dressed the
passed-out Antony in women's clothes and then wielded his
sword. More importantly, this was a moment when she
dominated him totally. Asleep, he was under her control, and
she made the most of her chance.

In Act 4 when Antony bungles his suicide, he begs the men

around him to finish the job for him. Instead Dercetus grabs
"Now boast thee, death, in thy
Antony's sword, the symbol of his power, and makes off with it.
possession lies A lass A soldier like Antony never parts with his sword, and thus there
could be no clearer symbol of Antony's death than that stolen
unparalleled."
sword. Having betrayed Antony symbolically, Dercetus now
betrays him literally when he offers to serve Caesar.
— Charmian, Act 5, Scene 2

The snakes' poison has done its work, and Cleopatra is

reunited with Antony in death. As Charmian closes the eyes of
her mistress, she tells the world of the dead it has just acquired
one of the most remarkable women in history. Charmian's use
of the informal "lass" shows how much she loves the Queen
and how close they were in life.
l Symbols
Snakes
Snakes symbolize treachery and death because of their
slyness and venom. Antony famously calls Cleopatra his
"serpent of old Nile," and the nickname is appropriate. There is
more than a touch of venom in the way she sometimes treats
him! When Antony tells Enobarbus they must leave Egypt for
Rome, he compares the "breeding" political situation to a
trough of water with a horse's hair in it—an image recalling the
old superstition that horsehair could turn into a worm.

Swords Extending the metaphor, Antony adds the notion of the worm
growing into a poisonous snake. Antony wants to get to Rome
as soon as possible, before the worm gets too big.

Unlike other Shakespeare plays in which a sword is a sword, in Shakespeare conflates snakes and worms in an unsettling way
Antony and Cleopatra swords are symbols of martial power in the last act as well: the countryman in Act 5 calls the asps he
and male pride. After Egypt loses the Battle of Actium, Antony, brings Cleopatra "worms." "I wish you joy of the worm," he

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Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
chillingly says as he leaves.
Clouds
Changeable and impermanent, clouds symbolize Antony's lost
identity. In a poignant moment in Act 4, Scene 14 Antony,
desolate at having lost to Caesar and even more desolate to
think (mistakenly) Cleopatra has betrayed him, muses to Eros
on the shapes of clouds. "Sometimes we see a cloud that's
dragonish, / A vapor sometime like a bear or lion." These
shapes, he says, "mock our eyes with air." They're so
impermanent that they vanish "even with a thought" and
become as "indistinct / As water is in water." In happier times
Antony's strongest self-identification came from knowing he
was a great soldier. Now, stripped of that knowledge, he feels
himself to be floating wispily and about to dissolve, unable to
hold onto any shape in the same way clouds shift easily from
one form to another with no structure to keep their form.
Antony and Cleopatra features several images of
metamorphosis. A horsehair can change into a snake;
Cleopatra can wield Antony's sword and call herself a
conqueror. But these are examples of matter's assuming
another form. Antony's description of drifting into nothingness,
in effect dematerializing, is one of the eeriest and most
arresting passages in the play. Clouds are the closest
representation of his transformation.
m Themes
Honor
The main characters must decide what honor means and how
one demonstrates or acquires it. In the play's opening words,
Philo mourns the change that has come over Antony since
meeting Cleopatra. "His captain's heart ... is become the
bellows and the fan / To cool a gypsy's lust." For Romans,
military glory, honor, and "behaving like a good Roman" are
synonymous. Honor means courage, ruthlessness in battle, and
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Themes 46
holding onto power. A man behaving unlike a soldier—in
Antony's case, an emperor—is a failure as a man.
In Cleopatra's world the Roman concept of honor as fulfillment
of responsibility is incomplete and unsatisfying. People lucky
enough to be rich should enjoy life, not behave as others would
like or expect. Cleopatra is a powerful queen, but in Act 1,
Scene 1, she mocks Antony's sense of duty. Urging him to
listen to a messenger from Rome, she suggests, derisively,
perhaps Caesar has a job for him to do: "Do this, or this; / Take
in that kingdom, and enfranchise that. / Perform't, or otherwise
we damn thee." The suggestion is clearly that all of this
ambition for ambition's sake is silly, not honorable. Antony
outdoes Cleopatra in his willingness to forget duty. "Let Rome
in Tiber melt and the wide arch / of the ranged empire fall.
Here is my space." Antony's irresponsibility here might trouble
even someone without a strict Roman sense of virtue.
At the other extreme is Caesar, whose sense of honor
dominates every aspect of his personality. In fact he barely
seems to have a personality. As Cleopatra can't conceive of
any reason to comport oneself like a Roman, Caesar is
flummoxed by Antony's refusal to return to Rome and a proper
way of life. Caesar says even if it were acceptable for Antony
to fritter away his time in trivial pursuits during peaceful times,
he's behaving inexcusably under current circumstances. There
is no way to "excuse his foils when we do bear / So great
weight in his lightness [absence]" (Act 1, Scene 4).
Enobarbus demonstrates the connection between loyalty and
honor. Loyal to his leader, he defends Antony's conduct for
most of the play. Indeed he seems to have internalized
Antony's feelings about Cleopatra. When Antony brings news
they must leave for Rome, Enobarbus jokes, "Why then, we kill
all our women. We see / how mortal an unkindness is to them.
If they suffer / Our departure, death's the word." When Antony
reveals that Fulvia is dead and that he must deal with the
resulting political mess, Enobarbus retorts, "And the business
you have broached here cannot be without you, especially that
of Cleopatra's, which / wholly depends on your abode" (Act 1,
Scene 2). Later Enobarbus is so disgusted he deserts Antony,
believing to remain loyal would be dishonorable
These characters' perceptions of honor undergo drastic
changes.
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
Enobarbus
Enobarbus deserts Antony because he believes it the
honorable thing to do. Almost immediately he regrets this
action. When Antony sends on the treasure Enobarbus left
behind, the kindness of the gesture undoes him. "O Antony, /
Nobler than my revolt is infamous, / Forgive me in thine own
particular" (Act 4, Scene 9). But his conflict brings attention to
a tricky element of honor: is it honorable to be loyal to a
dishonorable ruler? Since the audience empathizes with
Antony, the answer might clearly seem to be "yes," but if the
play were written from another perspective, and Antony was
represented as a shameful deserter, Enobarbus's loyalty to him
might be interpreted as showing a lack of moral firmness.
Antony
Losing two crucial battles causes Antony to realize he has lost
his self-image. "Here I am Antony, / Yet cannot hold this visible
shape " (Act 4, Scene 14). With this loss he understands the
value of the Roman ethos. Later he says, "Since Cleopatra died
/ I have lived in such dishonor that the gods / Detest my
baseness" (Act 4, Scene 14). Not only has he been dishonored
in battle, but Cleopatra (as he mistakenly believes) has been
quicker to commit suicide than he. A good Roman prefers
death to dishonor. But he has always claimed Cleopatra was
more important than his honor. His tragedy is he doesn't quite
die with honor. First he begs Eros to kill him; when Eros kills
himself instead, Antony stabs himself and misses his aim. He
accepts this failure with good grace, even though the
undignified death highlights his overall diminishment. During his
time with Cleopatra, Antony lets the honorable part of himself
go; it has returned, but it does not give him a graceful death.
Cleopatra
Cleopatra can't bear the thought of Caesar's parading her as a
captive through Rome for all to jeer at. This is ego talking, not
honor: the Queen is unable to tolerate such a conspicuous loss
of status. Putting on a performance is one thing; being
displayed is another. But Cleopatra's determination to control
her fate is honorable by any standards, not just Roman ones.
Throughout the play Cleopatra has flown into rages whenever
her will has been crossed. Now cornered, she becomes calm,
brave, and accepting. "Look, / Our lamp is spent; it's out. Good
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Themes 47
sirs, take heart ... What's brave, what's noble / Let's do 't after
the high Roman fashion / And make death proud to take us."
Before poisoning herself, she dresses in her "best attires." This
action is partly ego driven: she wants to look good when
Caesar finds her (and she succeeds). More important,
however, putting on full regalia underscores her refusal to
cringe in the face of death. She meets her honorable end
proudly, and with more dignity than does Antony.
Caesar
Caesar is the one character who believes he has behaved
honorably, but his honor is questionable. He ignores the signed
treaty, setting off a chain of disastrous events.
He has long disapproved of Antony and Cleopatra. He sees
Antony as a weakling and Cleopatra as a whore. But when he
hears Antony is dead, Caesar changes. He recalls the days
when he and Antony shared power and friendship, as "mates in
empire." With Antony dead Caesar's respect for him returns; he
retroactively bestows on Antony the honor Antony lost in life.
Caesar's plans for disposing of Cleopatra may seem
dishonorable. To Caesar, however, parading captured
prisoners is one of the rewards of winning a war; it also may be
a way to indicate to his people that the sensual, distracting
threat of Egypt, represented by Cleopatra, has been tamed. In
any case, pretending to be her protector is just good strategy.
But when he views her corpse, Caesar softens as he did with
Antony. He speaks admiringly of her: "Bravest at the last, / She
leveled our purposes and, being royal, / Took her own way"
(Act 5, Scene 2). Despite his plans being foiled by her death, he
orders the lovers to be buried together. Caesar's concept of
honor has broadened to include this famous pair.
Rome versus Egypt
Philo's opening speech sets the central conflict of the play: in
turning toward Cleopatra, Antony has turned away from his
Roman upbringing. Once, says Philo, Antony could be
compared to Mars, the Roman god of war. Now his stern
"captain's heart" has become "the bellows and the fan / To
cool a gypsy's [Egyptian's] lust." One of the three emperors of
Rome, a "triple pillar of the world," is now the plaything of a
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide Themes 48

whore. Caesar's reluctant approval.

In Antony and Cleopatra Rome and Egypt are irreconcilably

different—at least in the opinion of everyone but the lovers
themselves, whose cultural differences are attractions. But for Women with Power
other Romans in the play Egypt is overripe, overfertile;
Cleopatra, the symbol of the country she rules, is overfond of
pleasure. To Cleopatra, on the other hand, Rome is cold, strict,
Cleopatra makes most of the men in this play very
and reined in—all the traits she wishes Antony didn't have.
nervous—even Antony. To the Romans she is an enticing
Egyptians host grand parties: the Roman Maecenas drools at
strumpet with far too much power. As they see it, Cleopatra
the thought of "Eight wild boars roasted whole at a breakfast,
has lured Antony off the moral path into a bath of corruption. In
and but twelve persons there" (Act 2, Scene 2). Meanwhile at
Act 1, Scene 1 Philo speaks of Antony "when he is not Antony,"
Pompey's banquet (which Antony brags doesn't come near the
the implication being Cleopatra has transformed him into a
typical Egyptian party), abstemious Caesar looks on with
false version of himself. Antony himself calls Cleopatra a fairy;
disdain as everyone else on board has a grand, but
later, when he believes she has betrayed him, he growls, "The
inharmonious, time getting drunk.
witch shall die" (Act 4, Scene 13).
In the West, Rome is ruled by men; even Octavia, Caesar's
Enobarbus is the one Roman who seems to respect Cleopatra,
royal sister, is passively dutiful in her role as a bargaining chip.
at least in the beginning. But he also believes she is literally
In the East, Cleopatra's court swarms with women and
irresistible to Antony. Her "infinite variety" is one reason Antony
eunuchs. Because a stern, virtuous environment may be less
is in thrall to her, but Enobarbus believes there is another, less
appealing to describe than a lushly sensual one, Shakespeare
savory, reason. "Vilest things / Become themselves in her, that
is lavish with descriptions of Egypt and of Cleopatra. In
the holy priests / Bless her when she is riggish." If a loose
describing Cleopatra on her barge, Shakespeare says she is
woman can get even a priest to bless her, she must be an
more beautiful than Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty.
enchantress.
Both Antony and Cleopatra have internalized the idea that
If any woman in the play is unthreatening, it's quiet, cool
Egypt is Rome's opposite. After 10 years with Cleopatra,
Octavia. No Roman thinks she's a witch. Caesar thinks of his
Antony has cast off much of the self-discipline he embraced in
sister as the "cement" that will keep him allied with Antony. But,
earlier days. In contrast with the "eight wild boars," Caesar
the dutiful Octavia cannot control her new husband, and it is
speaks admiringly of Antony's years as a soldier, when he was
unfair to hang Rome's fate on her marriage. Perhaps Caesar
forced to live on tree bark and horse urine. Cleopatra is
already realizes this and is using Octavia to give himself
furiously anxious at the idea of Antony's returning to Rome,
another reason to war with Antony. Whether or not he expects
while Antony feels guilty that "The beds i'the East are soft" (Act
the marriage to work, Caesar views his sister as a weapon, and
2, Scene 6) and thinks Rome may be what he needs to regain
Octavia couldn't be a worse choice for the task.
the manly skills he has lost.
Cleopatra's feelings toward the extent of her power are hard
Antony feels torn, as Cleopatra and Caesar pull him in different
to pin down, for her "infinite variety" makes her vacillate
directions. One reason the queen and Caesar dislike each
between insecurity and pride. Certainly she is obsessed with
other is that each wants dominance over Antony. His visit to
maintaining her power over Antony. When she decides to go
Rome deeply disappoints Caesar, as does Antony's leaving
fishing, she envisions herself "betraying" the fishes. "As I draw
Octavia to return to Egypt.
them up / I'll think them every one an Antony / And say "Aha!
At this point Cleopatra and the East seem victorious—until You're caught."
Caesar's decisive victory sinks Egypt and Cleopatra with it.
Rome has triumphed, at least politically. Strangely, East and
West merge at the end of the play when Cleopatra commits
suicide. She kills herself "after the high Roman fashion,"
magnificently dressed for the occasion, and wins even

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Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide
m Motifs
Water
Antony and Cleopatra abounds in water imagery. The first
image is Philo's metaphor describing Antony's lovesickness.
"This dotage of our general's / O'erflows the measure." By
Roman standards everything about Egypt is overflowing. The
Nile floods its banks; Antony spends too much time fishing;
there's too much drinking.
Water imagery appears several times in association with
Cleopatra. She first meets Antony as she floats down the river
Cydnus in a golden barge with silver oars. Her attendants are
dressed like sea nymphs, and a servant in a mermaid costume
steers the boat. The water of the river is "amorous" of the silver
oars rowing through it (Act 2, Scene 2). Cleopatra is presenting
herself as the goddess of the river, and Antony is suitably
dazzled. Elsewhere Enobarbus says Cleopatra's sighs and
tears are "greater storms and tempests than almanacs can
report" (Act 1, Scene 2).
According to Caesar the Roman populace is as inconstant as
water. "This common body, / Like to a vagabond flag upon the
stream, / Goes to and back, lackeying the varying tide / To rot
itself with motion." When Antony loses the Battle of Actium—on
the water—he grieves his vanished identity is "Indistinct / As
water is in water" (Act 4, Scene 14).
In such a dramatic story, there are many tears. In Act 1, Scene
3 Cleopatra depicts tears as tribute that can be quantified.
"Where be the sacred vials thou shouldst fill / With sorrowful
water?" she chides Anthony. A few lines later, she says, "I
prithee turn aside and weep for [Fulvia], / Then bid adieu to me
and say the tears / Belong to Egypt" (Act 1, Scene 3). Antony
and Cleopatra both bid their servants not to cry over their
deaths, and when Cleopatra weeps over the loss at Actium,
Antony gallantly says, "Fall not a tear, I say; / one of them rates
/ All that is won and lost." He even remarks about Octavia's
tears, comparing them to April rains—a much less startling or
original image than other water images. And Caesar himself
cries when he learns about Antony's death: "The gods rebuke
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Motifs 49
me, but it is tidings / To wash the eyes of kings" (Act 5, Scene
1).
Finally, there is the sea, which in this play is associated with
war. Pompey, says Antony "commands the empire of the sea"
(Act 1, Scene 2), and Pompey's attack on Rome is one of the
reasons Antony leaves Egypt. Pompey's lieutenants,
Menecrates and Menas, "[Make] the sea serve them, which
they ear and wound / With keels of every kind ... the borders
maritime / Lack blood to think on't" (Act 1, Scene 4). Pompey
himself exults, "The people love me, and the sea is mine" (Act
2, Scene 1).
Pompey is temporarily halted when he signs a treaty with the
triumvirs, and for the second half of the play Caesar is master
of the sea. In Act 4, Scene 7 Antony wonders how Caesar can
have "so quickly cut [through] the Ionian Sea." Instead of taking
this as a warning, Antony—the best land fighter in the Roman
Empire—decides to fight Caesar by sea. By so doing he brings
doom upon himself and Cleopatra. After his death Cleopatra is
left to dream about a man whose "legs bestrid the ocean"—a
sad wish things could have ended differently.
Messengers
In this play 35 messages are delivered—almost one per scene.
The first one, in Act 1, Scene 1, sets the tone for all subsequent
messages. The Messenger barges in on Antony's and
Cleopatra's rapturous opening lines about their limitless love.
Perhaps because he's irritated at being cut off in mid-speech,
perhaps because he has lost his sense of responsibility,
Antony refuses to listen to the message. Cleopatra repeatedly
urges him to hear what the Messenger has to say, but not
because she's appealing to his sense of duty. She wants to
find out whether the message is about Antony's wife, Fulvia.
But he can't avoid the second Messenger, who arrives soon
after Antony has dismissed the first.
Cleopatra herself proves to be a feared recipient of messages
she doesn't like. When a Roman Messenger tells her Antony
has married Octavia, she strikes him repeatedly and then
"hales him up and down." The Messenger pleads, "Gracious
madam, / I that do bring the news made not the match" (Act 2,
Scene 5). It doesn't work: Cleopatra pulls out a knife and
announces, "Rogue, thou has lived too long," and the
Antony and Cleopatra Study Guide Suggested Reading 50

Messenger promptly exits. Still Cleopatra can't resist knowing

more about Antony's new bride. She orders the Messenger to
go back to Rome, take a good look at Octavia, and return to
her with the information. On his second visit, the Messenger
knows how to keep Cleopatra from attacking him. Everything
he says about Octavia can be interpreted as unflattering. He
does make a mistake when he volunteers, "And I do believe
she's thirty." Cleopatra is older than that but happy enough to
ignore the remark.
e Suggested Reading
Capel, Anne K., and Glenn Markoe. Mistress of the House,
Mistress of Heaven: Women in Ancient Egypt. Hudson Hill,
1997.
Goldsworthy, Adrian Keith. Antony and Cleopatra. Phoenix,
2011.

One interesting feature about messages in this play: the Schiff, Stacy. Cleopatra: A Life. Virgin, 2011.
majority convey information the audience already knows. By
Silverman, David P. Ancient Egypt. Oxford UP, 2003.
the time Cleopatra hears Antony is married, the audience has
"met" Octavia and learned of the marriage. This device draws
focus not on the message but on the way the hearer receives
it. The way a character reacts to (usually bad) news reveals a
great deal.

Ships

Enobarbus's famous description of Cleopatra portrays her on

her beautiful barge on the Nile. The motif is one of
overwhelming beauty and connection to nature. But scenes set
on boats and the sea are, throughout the play, moments of
crisis, uncertainty, and transition. Antony's army is weaker on
sea than on land; agreeing to a confrontation on the sea is his
undoing. Moreover, Cleopatra's flight from the Battle of
Actium—also on a ship—is a distracting, devastating
temptation; Antony complains that Cleopatra must have known
that "[m]y heart was to thy rudder tied by th'strings, / And thou
shouldst tow me after."

In the disturbing scene on Pompey's ship, an ostensible truce is

undercut by tension and by the possibility of betrayal: the men
are supposed to be carousing together, but Caesar refuses to
participate and Menas casually suggests that he might cut the
throats of Pompey's new allies.

Even Cleopatra's barge, which seems to stand at such a

contrast to Roman warships, is problematic. While the image is
a positive one for Enobarbus, the temptation that Cleopatra's
appearance poses to Antony, and its role in his eventual
diminishment and death, makes the image subversive and
potentially sinister.

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